How reliable are the dividends from CBA shares?

Are the Commonwealth Bank's dividends all they are cracked up to be?

| More on:
A woman wearing the black and yellow corporate colours of a leading bank gazes out the window in thought as she holds a tablet in her hands.

Image source: Getty Imgaes

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

Key points

  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia is one of the most popular income shares on the ASX
  • This ASX bank has been funding fully franked dividends for decades
  • Indications are the bank will be a reliable dividend payer in 2023

When it comes to ASX dividend shares, it's likely Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) is one of the companies that come to mind. All of the ASX 200 bank shares, including CBA, have been dividend heavyweights on the ASX 200 for decades now.

Over its long history on the share market, Commonwealth Bank has built a solid reputation as a steady and generous provider of fully franked dividend income.

But just because a company has amassed a reputation as an income share in the past doesn't automatically mean that it will continue to make it rain for investors indefinitely. So today, let's assess just how reliable the CBA dividend is in 2023.

When analysing the sustainability or reliability of a company's dividend, a great metric to start with is the dividend payout ratio. This determines how much of a company's earnings are being paid out in dividends every year.

If a company has a payout ratio of 50%, it is going to intrinsically have a more sustainable and reliable dividend than a company forking out 95% of its earnings to shareholders every year.

Just how reliable are CBA shares' dividends in 2023?

Back in February, CBA released its latest financial earnings report, covering the first half of FY2023. In these earnings, CBA revealed that its statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) rose 10% over the prior year to $5.22 billion. That translated into an earnings per share (EPS) metric of $3.04, up 31 cents over the prior year.

Out of that $3.04 in EPS, CBA announced that it would pay out a $2.10 per share interim dividend. $2.10 is just over 69% of $3.04. So we can conclude that CBA's dividend payout ratio for the first half of FY2023 was 69.08%.

Let's get a bigger picture though by analysing CBA's full-year results for FY2022 that were released last August.

Back then, the bank revealed that its EPS for FY2022 came in at $5.57 a share. That was a rise of 69 cents over FY2021. Of that $5.57, the bank doled out $3.85 in dividends per share. That gave CBA a payout ratio of 69.12%.

So CBA's payout ratio has been consistently at around 69% over the past year or two. I would class that as a healthy payout ratio for an ASX bank. This indicates that CBA's dividend is indeed relatively reliable and sustainable at its current levels.

Of course, banks are highly cyclical businesses. Thus, if CBA's earnings take a hit in the next year or so, we shouldn't be surprised to see a commensurate drop in its dividends. We saw this happen during COVID-ravaged 2020 and, before that, during the global financial crisis in 2008.

Nevertheless, CBA is, and I suspect will remain, one of the ASX 200's most generous dividend-paying shares. At present, the CBA share price gives this ASX bank a fully franked dividend yield of 4.24%.

Should you invest $1,000 in Sigma Healthcare right now?

Before you buy Sigma Healthcare shares, consider this:

Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Sigma Healthcare wasn't one of them.

The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys...

See The 5 Stocks *Returns as of 30 April 2025

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

More on Bank Shares

A man in a suit smiles at the yellow piggy bank he holds in his hand.
Bank Shares

CBA shares hit a new $176 record high. Too late to buy?

What can stop this bank now?

Read more »

man thinking about whether to invest in bitcoin
Bank Shares

Is this the right time to invest in Westpac shares after the interest rate cut?

Should investors bank on rate cuts helping Westpac?

Read more »

A woman sits at her computer with her hand to her mouth and a contemplative smile on her face as she reads about the performance of Allkem shares on her computer
Bank Shares

How did ASX bank shares react to the RBA decision?

The Reserve Bank of Australia just reduced interest rates by 0.25% in the second cut for 2025.

Read more »

A young woman sits at her desk in deep contemplation with her hand to her chin while seriously considering information she is reading on her laptop.
Dividend Investing

Dividends from ASX 200 bank shares 'looking very stretched': expert

The banks have always been a favourite choice among ASX dividend investors. But the outlook ain't great.

Read more »

A pink piggybank sits in a pile of autumn leaves.
Bank Shares

How much higher can the CBA share price rise?

One fund manager has given their view on the biggest bank.

Read more »

A young man goes over his finances and investment portfolio at home.
Bank Shares

Why is the Macquarie share price sinking today?

Let's see what is causing its shares to start the week in the red.

Read more »

Woman with spyglass looking toward ocean at sunset.
Bank Shares

Here's the earnings forecast out to 2029 for NAB shares

Let’s look at what experts are predicting for the bank.

Read more »

A man in a suit looks serious while discussing business dealings with a couple as they sit around a computer at a desk in a bank home lending scenario.
Bank Shares

Here's what Westpac says the RBA will do with interest rates next week

The RBA is meeting on Tuesday. Will it cut rates? Let's find out.

Read more »