ADF Group (TSE:DRX) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of CA$0.01

ADF Group Inc. (TSE:DRX) will pay a dividend of CA$0.01 on the 18th of October. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.1%, which is below the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for ADF Group

ADF Group's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. ADF Group is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. 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.

Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 39.0% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 3.5%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

ADF Group Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. The last annual payment of CA$0.02 was flat on the annual payment from10 years ago. Although we can't deny that the dividend has been remarkably stable in the past, the growth has been pretty muted.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. It's encouraging to see that ADF Group has been growing its earnings per share at 39% a 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 good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about ADF Group's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. While ADF Group is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. To that end, ADF Group has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about. 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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