Beacon Lighting Group (ASX:BLX) Is Increasing Its Dividend To AU$0.043

The board of Beacon Lighting Group Limited (ASX:BLX) has announced that the dividend on 11th of March will be increased to AU$0.043, which will be 2.4% higher than last year. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 3.4%, which is below the industry average.

Check out our latest analysis for Beacon Lighting Group

Beacon Lighting Group's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Even a low dividend yield can be attractive if it is sustained for years on end. The last dividend was quite easily covered by Beacon Lighting Group's earnings. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to fall by 8.8% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 63%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

Beacon Lighting Group's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

Beacon Lighting Group has been paying dividends for a while, but the track record isn't stellar. This makes us cautious about the consistency of the dividend over a full economic cycle. Since 2015, the first annual payment was AU$0.014, compared to the most recent full-year payment of AU$0.088. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 30% over that duration. Beacon Lighting Group has grown distributions at a rapid rate despite cutting the dividend at least once in the past. Companies that cut once often cut again, so we would be cautious about buying this stock solely for the dividend income.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that Beacon Lighting Group has grown earnings per share at 17% per year over the past five years. Since earnings per share is growing at an acceptable rate, and the payout policy is balanced, we think the company is positioning itself well to grow earnings and dividends in the future.

We Really Like Beacon Lighting 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 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.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Beacon Lighting Group that investors should take into consideration. 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.