General Dynamics’ (NYSE:GD) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year’s

General Dynamics Corporation’s (NYSE:GD) dividend will be increasing to US$1.26 on 5th of August. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 2.1%.

Check out our latest analysis for General Dynamics

General Dynamics’ Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Prior to this announcement, General Dynamics’ 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.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 7.7%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 42% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

General Dynamics Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from US$1.88 in 2012 to the most recent annual payment of US$5.04. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 10% 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 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. General Dynamics has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 5.2% per annum. Shareholders are getting plenty of the earnings returned to them, which combined with strong growth makes this quite appealing.

We Really Like General Dynamics’ Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that General Dynamics is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income 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. As an example, we’ve identified 2 warning signs for General Dynamics that you should be aware of before investing. 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.