High Liner Foods' (TSE:HLF) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

The board of High Liner Foods Incorporated (TSE:HLF) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of $0.13 on the 15th of December, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This takes the dividend yield to 3.9%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

Check out the opportunities and risks within the CA Food industry.

High Liner Foods' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. High Liner Foods is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

Over the next year, EPS could expand by 15.1% if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 22%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.199 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $0.386. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 6.8% per annum over that time. We like to see dividends have grown at a reasonable rate, but with at least one substantial cut in the payments, we're not certain this dividend stock would be ideal for someone intending to live on the income.

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 that High Liner Foods has been growing its earnings per share at 15% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.

In Summary

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think High Liner Foods will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We don't think High Liner Foods is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. To that end, High Liner Foods has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.