Fidelity National Information Services ($FIS) will pay a larger dividend than last year at $0.52.

The board of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. ($FIS) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of $0.52 on the 23rd of June, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This will take the annual payment to 3.7% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

Fidelity National Information Services' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. While Fidelity National Information Services 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.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 129.7%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 26%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Fidelity National Information Services Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $0.80, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $2.08. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 10% a year over that time. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. However, things aren't all that rosy. Fidelity National Information Services' earnings per share has shrunk at 85% a year over the past five years. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Fidelity National Information Services' payments are rock solid. 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 would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fidelity-national-information-services-nyse-121217652.html