Deutsche B?rse AG (ETR:DB1) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 17th of May to €3.80. Despite this raise, the dividend yield of 2.0% is only a modest boost to shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for Deutsche B?rse

Deutsche B?rse's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Prior to this announcement, Deutsche B?rse's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 21.3% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 36% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Deutsche B?rse Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. The dividend has gone from an annual total of €2.10 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of €3.80. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.1% a year over that time. 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 Looks Likely To Grow

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. We are encouraged to see that Deutsche B?rse has grown earnings per share at 16% per year over the past five years. Since earnings per share is growing at an acceptable rate, and the payout policy is balanced, we think the company is positioning itself well to grow earnings and dividends in the future.

Deutsche B?rse Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. 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. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Deutsche B?rse that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Is Deutsche B?rse not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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