Yahoo Finance Altius Minerals (TSE:ALS) Will Pay A Dividend Of CA$0.08
The board of Altius Minerals Corporation (TSE:ALS) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 15th of December, with investors receiving CA$0.08 per share. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.5%, which is below the average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Altius Minerals
Altius Minerals Doesn't Earn Enough To Cover Its Payments
Even a low dividend yield can be attractive if it is sustained for years on end. Before making this announcement, Altius Minerals was easily earning enough to 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 fall by 53.1% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could reach 103%, which could put the dividend under pressure if earnings don't start to improve.
Altius Minerals Is Still Building Its Track Record
Altius Minerals' dividend has been pretty stable for a little while now, but we will continue to be cautious until it has been demonstrated for a few more years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of CA$0.08 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of CA$0.32. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 19% a year over that time. The dividend has been growing rapidly, however with such a short payment history we can't know for sure if payment can continue to grow over the long term, so caution may be warranted.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Altius Minerals has impressed us by growing EPS at 45% per year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.
An additional note is that the company has been raising capital by issuing stock equal to 15% of shares outstanding in the last 12 months. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.
We Really Like Altius Minerals' Dividend
In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. The distributions are easily covered by earnings, and there is plenty of cash being generated as well. If earnings do fall over the next 12 months, the dividend could be buffeted a little bit, but we don't think it should cause too much of a problem in the long term. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Altius Minerals (1 is concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing. 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.
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