Grab Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ:STX) Today With A Solid 6.4% Dividend Yield
If you are an income investor, then Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ:STX) should be on your radar. Seagate Technology plc provides data storage technology and solutions in Singapore, the United States, the Netherlands, and internationally. Over the past 10 years, the US$11b market cap company has been growing its dividend payments, from $0.48 to $2.52. Currently yielding 6.4%, let’s take a closer look at Seagate Technology’s dividend profile.
Check out our latest analysis for Seagate Technology
What Is A Dividend Rock Star?
It is a stock that pays a stable and consistent dividend, having done so reliably for the past decade with the expectation of this continuing into the future. More specifically:
Its annual yield is among the top 25% of dividend payers
It consistently pays out dividend without missing a payment or significantly cutting payout
Its has increased its dividend per share amount over the past
It can afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings
It is able to continue to payout at the current rate in the future
High Yield And Dependable
Seagate Technology currently yields 6.4%, which is high for Tech stocks. But the real reason Seagate Technology stands out is because it has a proven track record of continuously paying out this level of dividends, from earnings, to shareholders and can be expected to continue paying in the future. This is a highly desirable trait for a stock holding if you’re investor who wants a robust cash inflow from your portfolio over a long period of time.
If there is one thing that you want to be reliable in your life, it’s dividend stocks and their constant income stream. STX has increased its DPS from $0.48 to $2.52 in the past 10 years. During this period it has not missed a payment, as one would expect for a company increasing its dividend. This is an impressive feat, which makes STX a true dividend rockstar.
The company currently pays out 50% of its earnings as a dividend, according to its trailing twelve-month data, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Going forward, analysts expect STX’s payout to remain around the same level at 49% of its earnings. Assuming a constant share price, this equates to a dividend yield of 6.6%. Furthermore, EPS is forecasted to fall to $4.65 in the upcoming year.
If you want to dive deeper into the sustainability of a certain payout ratio, you may wish to consider the cash flow of the business. Cash flow is important because companies with strong cash flow can usually sustain higher payout ratios.
Next Steps:
Investors of Seagate Technology can continue to expect strong dividends from the stock. With its favorable dividend characteristics, if high income generation is still the goal for your portfolio, then Seagate Technology is one worth keeping around. However, given this is purely a dividend analysis, I urge potential investors to try and get a good understanding of the underlying business and its fundamentals before deciding on an investment. Below, I’ve compiled three fundamental factors you should further research:
Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for STX’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for STX’s outlook.
Valuation: What is STX worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it’s not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether STX is currently mispriced by the market.
Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there strong dividend payers with better fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.
To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.
The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
