Sysco Corporation (SYY) Dividend Stock Analysis

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Oct 29, 2010
[Sysco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, markets and distributes a range of food and related products primarily to the foodservice industry in the United States. The company has raised dividends for forty consecutive years, and is a a dividend champion.


Over the past decade, this dividend stock has delivered a total return of 4.40% annually. The stock has been mostly flat over the past ten years.


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Over the past decade, Sysco has managed to increase earnings per share by 9.50% annually. The company has bought back 1.50% of its shares outstanding on average over the past decade. Analysts project Sysco to earn $1.99 in FY 2011 followed by $2.15 in FY 2012.


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The company has managed to raise annual dividends at a rate of 15.50% annually over the past decade. At 16%, dividends double every four and a half years. Since 1974 the company has managed to double its quarterly dividend payment every four years.


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The company’s dividend payout ratio has steadily increased over the past decade. Right now the dividend is sustainable at payout ratio of just under 50%. A lower payout is always a plus, since it leaves room for consistent dividend growth minimizing the impact of short-term fluctuations in earnings.


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The return on equity has remained steadily over 29% over the past decade, fueled by strong earnings growth. Rather than focus on absolute values for this indicator, I generally want to see at least a stable return on equity over time.


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Overall I find Sysco (SYY, Financial) to be attractively valued at a P/E of 14.20 and a yield of 3.50%. Given the adequately covered distribution, and the expectations for modest EPS growth going forward, I view the company as an attractive candidate for a dividend growth portfolio.


Full Disclosure: Long SYY



Dividend Growth Investor

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