The board of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend by 5.0% on the 15th of May to $1.06, up from last year's comparable payment of $1.01. The payment will take the dividend yield to 2.4%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

Procter & Gamble's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, Procter & Gamble was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 22.4%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 54% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Procter & Gamble Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from $2.57 total annually to $4.03. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 4.6% over that duration. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. We are encouraged to see that Procter & Gamble has grown earnings per share at 29% per year over the past five years. The company doesn't have any problems growing, despite returning a lot of capital to shareholders, which is a very nice combination for a dividend stock to have.

We Really Like Procter & Gamble's Dividend

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.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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.