SSE (LON:SSE) Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To £0.29

Simply Wall St
·3 min read
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SSE plc (LON:SSE) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 9th of March to £0.29. This makes the dividend yield 5.2%, which is above the industry average.

See our latest analysis for SSE

SSE's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. The last dividend made up quite a large portion of free cash flows, and this was made worse by the lack of free cash flows. This is a pretty unsustainable practice, and could be risky if continued for the long term.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 39.1%. Assuming the dividend continues along the course it has been charting recently, our estimates show the payout ratio being 66% which brings it into quite a comfortable range.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was £0.801 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was £0.892. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 1.1% per annum over that time. It's encouraging to see some dividend growth, but the dividend has been cut at least once, and the size of the cut would eliminate most of the growth anyway, which makes this less attractive as an income investment.

Dividend Growth Is Doubtful

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Over the past five years, it looks as though SSE's EPS has declined at around 6.8% a year. If the company is making less over time, it naturally follows that it will also have to pay out less in dividends. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this can turn into a longer term trend.

SSE's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think SSE's payments are rock solid. The track record isn't great, and the payments are a bit high to be considered sustainable. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Just as an example, we've come across 4 warning signs for SSE you should be aware of, and 2 of them are concerning. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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