Waterco's (ASX:WAT) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

Waterco Limited's (ASX:WAT) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to A$0.05 on 15th of June. The payment will take the dividend yield to 2.4%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

View our latest analysis for Waterco

Waterco's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Prior to this announcement, Waterco's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.

If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 24.5% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 24% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was A$0.07 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was A$0.10. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 3.6% over that duration. Modest growth in the dividend is good to see, but we think this is offset by historical cuts to the payments. It is hard to live on a dividend income if the company's earnings are not consistent.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Waterco has impressed us by growing EPS at 25% per year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Waterco's payments are rock solid. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Just as an example, we've come across 2 warning signs for Waterco you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. 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.