Data#3 (ASX:DTL) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

Data#3 Limited's (ASX:DTL) dividend will be increasing to AU$0.095 on 30th of September. This takes the annual payment to 2.7% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Data#3

Data#3's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Prior to this announcement, Data#3's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

EPS is set to grow by 9.0% over the next year. If the dividend continues growing along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 92%, which is on the higher side, but certainly still feasible.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from AU$0.056 to AU$0.15. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 10% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. Data#3 has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 13% per annum. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Data#3's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.

Our Thoughts On Data#3's Dividend

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Data#3 will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. 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. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Data#3 that you should be aware of before investing. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.

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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.
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