Yahoo Finance Macfarlane Group (LON:MACF) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year
Macfarlane Group PLC's (LON:MACF) dividend will be increasing on the 14th of October to UK£0.0087, with investors receiving 24% more than last year. This makes the dividend yield 1.9%, which is above the industry average.
Check out our latest analysis for Macfarlane Group
Macfarlane Group's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. However, Macfarlane Group's earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 13.7% over the next 12 months. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 29% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from UK£0.015 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of UK£0.027. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 5.8% over that duration. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. Macfarlane Group might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. We are encouraged to see that Macfarlane Group has grown earnings per share at 14% per year over the past five years. Macfarlane Group definitely has the potential to grow its dividend in the future with earnings on an uptrend and a low payout ratio.
We Really Like Macfarlane Group's Dividend
In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income 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 picked out 1 warning sign for Macfarlane Group that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.
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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