Washington Federal (NASDAQ:WAFD) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of $0.24

Simply Wall St
·3 min read

The board of Washington Federal, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.24 per share on the 2nd of September. This payment means that the dividend yield will be 2.7%, which is around the industry average.

View our latest analysis for Washington Federal

Washington Federal's Dividend Forecasted To Be Well Covered By Earnings

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important.

Washington Federal has a long history of paying out dividends, with its current track record at a minimum of 10 years. Based on Washington Federal's last earnings report, the payout ratio is at a decent 31%, meaning that the company is able to pay out its dividend with a bit of room to spare.

Looking forward, EPS is forecast to rise by 24.6% over the next 3 years. Analysts forecast the future payout ratio could be 27% over the same time horizon, which is a number we think the company can maintain.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Washington Federal Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.24 in 2012 to the most recent total annual payment of $0.96. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 15% over that duration. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time.

The Dividend Has Growth Potential

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. Washington Federal has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 9.9% per annum. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.

Washington Federal Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 3 Washington Federal analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. Is Washington Federal not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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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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