Constant Dividend Payout Ratio Policy

A dividend policy in which the percentage of earnings paid in the form of dividends is held constant

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What is a Constant Dividend Payout Ratio Policy?

A constant dividend payout ratio policy is a dividend policy in which the percentage of earnings paid in the form of dividends is held constant. In other words, a constant dividend payout ratio policy maintains the same proportion of earnings paid out as dividends to shareholders.

Dividend Payout Ratio Formula

The dividend payout ratio is as follows:

Dividend Payout Ratio - Formula

Where:

  • Dividends Paid is the dollar amount of dividends distributed to shareholders;
  • Net Income is the company’s income minus the cost of goods sold (COGS), expenses, and taxes.

Alternatively, the dividend payout ratio can be calculated through other formulas such as:

  1. Dividend Payout Ratio = 1 – Retention Ratio
  2. Dividend Payout Ratio = Dividends per Share / Earnings per Share

Example of a Constant Dividend Payout Ratio Policy

Colin is an analyst looking to determine the future dollar dividend payouts of Company A. The company follows a constant dividend payout ratio policy of 25%. Through the estimated forward earnings per share for fiscal 2020, 2021, and 2022 below, determine the expected dollar dividend payout per share.

Estimated Forward Earnings per Share

With a constant payout ratio policy of 25%, a quarter of the company’s forward earnings per share will be distributed as dividends to shareholders. The dollar expected dividend payout per share is as follows:

Expected Dividend Payout per Share

The expected dollar dividend payout through the fiscal years 2020-2022 is $0.375 + $0.575 + $0.675 = $1.625.

Implications of a Constant Dividend Payout Ratio Policy

With a constant dividend payout ratio policy, the amount of dividends paid to shareholders fluctuates directly in proportion to the earnings of a company. Therefore, such a dividend policy comes with the potential to generate very volatile dividend payouts.

The dividend payout policy also offers companies more flexibility as they do not need to alter the payout(s) during deteriorating market conditions (since the payout is a proportion of earnings and not a dollar amount), which typically sends a negative signal to market participants.

Major Considerations

There are several things that a company should keep in mind when setting a constant dividend payout ratio policy. They include:

1. Current business life cycle

Companies that operate in the launch, growth, and shake-out stage of the business life cycle tend to offer a lower payout ratio compared to more mature and established firms. In the early stages of a company, it will tend to choose to follow a low payout ratio policy so that it can reinvest its earnings back into the business.

2. Industry outlook

Setting a constant dividend payout ratio requires forward thinking – pullbacks to a company’s dividend policy result in an adverse effect and signals a weakening company. A company must consider its future prospects and its earning potential before setting a constant dividend rate.

More Resources

CFI offers the Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)™ certification program for those looking to take their careers to the next level. To keep learning and advancing your career, the following CFI resources will be helpful:

Additional Resources

CFI is a global provider of financial modeling courses and of the FMVA Certification. CFI’s mission is to help all professionals improve their technical skills. If you are a student or looking for a career change, the CFI website has many free resources to help you jumpstart your Career in Finance. If you are seeking to improve your technical skills, check out some of our most popular courses. Below are some additional resources for you to further explore:

The Financial Modeling Certification

Analyst Certification FMVA® Program

CFI is a global provider of financial modeling courses and of the FMVA Certification. CFI’s mission is to help all professionals improve their technical skills. If you are a student or looking for a career change, the CFI website has many free resources to help you jumpstart your Career in Finance. If you are seeking to improve your technical skills, check out some of our most popular courses. Below are some additional resources for you to further explore:

The Financial Modeling Certification

Below is a break down of subject weightings in the FMVA® financial analyst program. As you can see there is a heavy focus on financial modeling, finance, Excel, business valuation, budgeting/forecasting, PowerPoint presentations, accounting and business strategy.

 

Financial Analyst certification curriculum

 

A well rounded financial analyst possesses all of the above skills!

 

Additional Questions & Answers

CFI is the global institution behind the financial modeling and valuation analyst FMVA® Designation. CFI is on a mission to enable anyone to be a great financial analyst and have a great career path. In order to help you advance your career, CFI has compiled many resources to assist you along the path.

In order to become a great financial analyst, here are some more questions and answers for you to discover:

 

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