JB Hi-Fi's (ASX:JBH) Dividend Is Being Reduced To AU$1.63

JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX:JBH) is reducing its dividend to AU$1.63 on the 11th of Marchwhich is 9.4% less than last year. However, the dividend yield of 5.0% still remains in a typical range for the industry.

View our latest analysis for JB Hi-Fi

JB Hi-Fi's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. Prior to this announcement, JB Hi-Fi's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to fall by 9.7% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could reach 86%, which is definitely on the higher side.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from AU$0.77 to AU$2.87. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 14% a year over that time. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. It's encouraging to see JB Hi-Fi has been growing its earnings per share at 21% a year over the past five years. The company doesn't have any problems growing, despite returning a lot of capital to shareholders, which is a very nice combination for a dividend stock to have.

JB Hi-Fi Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

It is generally not great to see the dividend being cut, but we don't think this should happen much if at all in the future given that JB Hi-Fi has the makings of a solid income stock moving forward. By reducing the dividend, pressure will be taken off the balance sheet, which could help the dividend to be consistent in the future. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for JB Hi-Fi (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about. Is JB Hi-Fi not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.