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The board of First Horizon Corporation (NYSE:FHN) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 2nd of January, with investors receiving $0.15 per share. Based on this payment, the dividend yield will be 3.5%, which is fairly typical for the industry.
View our latest analysis for First Horizon
First Horizon's Payment Expected To Have Solid Earnings Coverage
While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible.
First Horizon has established itself as a dividend paying company with over 10 years history of distributing earnings to shareholders. Based on First Horizon's last earnings report, the payout ratio is at a decent 43%, meaning that the company is able to pay out its dividend with a bit of room to spare.
The next 3 years are set to see EPS grow by 36.8%. Analysts forecast the future payout ratio could be 36% over the same time horizon, which is a number we think the company can maintain.
First Horizon Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.20 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $0.60. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12% a year over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Although it's important to note that First Horizon's earnings per share has basically not grown from where it was five years ago, which could erode the purchasing power of the dividend over time. Growth of 1.7% per annum is not particularly high, which might explain why the company is paying out a higher proportion of earnings. This could mean the dividend doesn't have the growth potential we look for going into the future.
We Really Like First Horizon's Dividend
Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think First Horizon might even raise payments in the future. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 12 First Horizon analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. 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.