| Ticker | Company name | Industry | Market Cap in Bln |
Dividend Yield | Stock price | Currency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVS | Novartis AG | Healthcare | 201.22 | 3.49 % | 87.11 | USD |
Company's Past Performance
Dividend
The history of dividend payments is an important consideration. The longer a company
pays dividends the higher are chances it will continue doing so in the future. A
history of regular dividend increases shows how much management is committed to
consistent dividend policy. It also shows the company’s financial capability to
conduct a consistent dividend policy. Once increased, dividends should be supported
in the future. So, one can expect that they are increased in a prudent and
responsible way. Look for companies with longer periods of dividend increases.
Companies with a higher dividend growth and a longer history of growth are
preferable within the industry since it shows that the company is well run and
future consistent dividend increases are more likely. Dividend cuts in the past
should be considered as red flags. Over time share price usually reflects dividend
growth. So, check for consistency of price growth with dividend growth.
5 years average dividend growth: 2.94 %
Dividend yield
The company’s dividend yield should not be too low. If it is, a stock as a dividend
payer is less useful for an income investor. However a the dividend yield should not
be too high as well. Too high yields usually are an indication that the price of a
stock is very low and probably the company is in trouble. Consider stocks with
dividend yields of 8% per annum or higher to be too risky for your portfolio of
stocks. Look for a dividend yield that is slightly higher than the industry average.
5 years average dividend yield: 7.72 %
PayOut Ratio
Payout ratio (POR), dividend per share divided by earnings per share, shows how
sustainable the dividend payments are. Many companies target a certain payout ratio
in their dividend policy. Look for stable payout ratios over longer periods of time.
Payout ratios within the range of 40% to 60% are preferable. The ones above 80% are
too high for the majority of industries. It means that almost all earnings of the
company are paid out in dividends and there is less scope for future business
development and subsequent dividend increases. A Payout ratio below 40% usually
means quite low dividend income for the investor. When earnings per share are zero
or negative, the value of payout ratio is not shown on the graph.
5 years average payout ratio: 66.34 %
Sales
Sales growth rate can differ substantially amongst industries. Regardless of the
industry, look for consistent smooth growth over years. Smaller companies usually
grow faster than larger ones. As in the case of earnings, look for a double digit
year on year grow of sales for small, medium companies and single digit growth for
larger ones. Evaluate how resistant company’s sales are relative to business cycles
by checking how the company behaved in the past during economic downturns. Look for
companies with sales growth above that of other companies in its industry. Pay
special attention to the sales growth in the latest quarters. Look for any anomaly
in data and find out the reason for it. Figures in the graph are in Billions of
units of currency.
5 years average sales growth: -1.95 %
Earnings Per Share
The history of earnings per share (EPS) growth and its future projections allow to
evaluate how sustainable dividend growth will be since dividends are paid out of
earnings. Look for faster growth (double digit percentage growth year on year) in
earnings per share for smaller companies and slower growth (single digit percentage)
for larger ones. Earnings should grow faster or in line with the company’s sales.
Compare earnings growth with that of peers. Look for earnings growth in line or
above that of other companies in the industry. Pay close attention to the earnings
dynamic in the latest quarters. Are the earnings growing or falling? Look for
anomalies in earnings and decide whether they will repeat in the future.
5 years average EPS growth: 3.99 %
Profit Margin
Profit margin (PM) or net profits divided by sales, shows what part of sales are
attributable to earnings. Look for companies with stable profit margin which is
above that of other companies in its industry. Look for a stable or uptrend
development of profit margin in the latest quarters.
5 years average profit margin: 16.61 %
Return On Equity
Return on equity (ROE) or net profit of the company divided by shareholder equity,
shows what return is achieved on shareholders’ money. Look for a company with a
stable return on equity over time and higher than that of other companies in its
industry. Also check that it is not down in the latest quarters.
5 years average ROE: 11.48 %
Debt To Equity
Debt to equity ratio (D/E) shows how much debt the company is using relative to the
shareholders equity. The level of indebtedness differs by the industry. Look for
less indebted companies, for companies with debt to equity ratio below that of
peers. Look for any significant changes in debt and check the reasons for that
change.
5 years average D/E ratio: 84.42 %
Cash Flow Per Share
Dividends are (mostly) paid out of cash. Look for a company that has steady and
consistent cash flow numbers. Look for cash flow per share that is higher than
dividend, because it means that the company has enough cash to pay dividend.
Price
Share price fluctuations are much higher than those of earnings or dividends. Over
longer term price of share should reflect dividend growth. So, check how much price
growth follows dividend growth. Also check for price up trend in the last 3-4
quarters.
P/E
Price to earnings (P/E), or a share price divided by earnings per share, is widely
used measurement of a company‘s stock performance. If we compare current price to
earnings ratio to the average historical one, a high current price to earnings
ratio, in most cases, means that a stock is over-valued and a low one that a stock
is under-valued. When earnings per share are zero or negative, the value of price to
earnings ratio is not shown on the graph.
5 years average p/e: 9.21
Company Profile
Novartis AG develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals, Alcon, Sandoz, and Corporate Activities. The Pharmaceuticals segment provides patent-protected prescription medicines. The Alcon segment offers surgical, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, and vision care products. The Sandoz segment supplies generic pharmaceuticals. The Corporate Activities segment includes other items of income and expense which are not attributable to specific segments such as certain expenses related to post-employment benefits, environmental remediation liabilities, charitable activities, donations, and sponsorships. The company was founded on February 29, 1996 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.