The board of Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of $0.56 on the 31st of March, an increased payment from last year’s comparable dividend. This takes the dividend yield to 4.2%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

See our latest analysis for Travel + Leisure

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn’t matter if the payment isn’t sustainable. However, Travel + Leisure’s earnings easily cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 50.2% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 24% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from $1.40 total annually to $2.24. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.8% a year over that time. The dividend has seen some fluctuations in the past, so even though the dividend was raised this year, we should remember that it has been cut in the past.

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Travel + Leisure hasn’t seen much change in its earnings per share over the last five years. While EPS growth is quite low, Travel + Leisure has the option to increase the payout ratio to return more cash to shareholders.

Overall, it’s great to see the dividend being raised and that it is still in a sustainable range. While the payout ratios are a good sign, we are less enthusiastic about the company’s dividend record. The payment isn’t stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.

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. Just as an example, we’ve come across 3 warning signs for Travel + Leisure you should be aware of, and 1 of them is concerning. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.

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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.