Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) Has Re-Affirmed Its Dividend Of US$0.70

Northern Trust Corporation(NASDAQ:NTRS) will pay a dividend of US$0.70 on the 1st of January. The dividend yield will be 2.2% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

See our latest analysis for Northern TrustNorthern Trust's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, Northern Trust's earnings were much higher than the dividend, but it wasn't converting those earnings into cash flow. Since a dividend means the company is paying out cash to investors, this could prove to be a problem in the future.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 22.6%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 44% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.NasdaqGS:NTRS Historic Dividend October 23rd 2021Northern Trust Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2011, the first annual payment was US$1.12, compared to the most recent full-year payment of US$2.80. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 9.6% per annum 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.Northern Trust Could Grow Its Dividend

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Northern Trust has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 7.5% per annum. The company is paying out a lot of its cash as a dividend, but it looks okay based on the payout ratio.In Summary

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

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. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 14 analysts we track are forecasting for Northern Trustfor freewith public analyst estimates for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at ourcurated list of high performing dividend stock.

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.

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