Yahoo Finance UGI (NYSE:UGI) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of $0.375
The board of UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.375 per share on the 1st of July. This means the annual payment is 6.2% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.
Check out our latest analysis for UGI
UGI Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend
A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. While UGI is not profitable, it is paying out less than 75% of its free cash flow, which means that there is plenty left over for reinvestment into the business. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to expand by 94.1% over the next year. While it is good to see income moving in the right direction, it still looks like the company won't achieve profitability. The positive free cash flows give us some comfort, however, that the dividend could continue to be sustained.
UGI 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 $0.753 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of $1.50. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 7.1% over that duration. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.
The Dividend Has Limited 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. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. Earnings per share has been sinking by 28% over the last five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.
Our Thoughts On UGI's Dividend
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. The company has been bring in plenty of cash to cover the dividend, but we don't necessarily think that makes it a great dividend stock. We don't think UGI is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. To that end, UGI has 2 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
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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.
