Yahoo Finance Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT) Is Increasing Its Dividend To US$0.19
The board of Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 10th of December to US$0.19. This takes the annual payment to 1.5% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.
Check out our latest analysis for Essent Group
Essent Group's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. However, prior to this announcement, Essent Group's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 9.8% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 11%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Essent Group Is Still Building Its Track Record
The company has maintained a consistent dividend for a few years now, but we would like to see a longer track record before relying on it. The first annual payment during the last 2 years was US$0.60 in 2019, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$0.76. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 13% per annum over that time. Essent Group has been growing its dividend quite rapidly, which is exciting. However, the short payment history makes us question whether this performance will persist across a full market cycle.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Essent Group has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 20% per annum. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.
We Really Like Essent Group's Dividend
Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Essent Group that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of strong dividend payers.
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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