Transcontinental (TSE:TCL.A) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of CA$0.225

The board of Transcontinental Inc. (TSE:TCL.A) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 24th of October, with investors receiving CA$0.225 per share. The dividend yield will be 5.4% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

Check out our latest analysis for Transcontinental

Transcontinental's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Based on the last dividend, Transcontinental is earning enough to cover the payment, but then it makes up 112% of cash flows. The company might be more focused on returning cash to shareholders, but paying out this much of its cash flow could expose the dividend to being cut in the future.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 4.8%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 65% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Transcontinental 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 annual payment during the last 10 years was CA$0.54 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was CA$0.90. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 5.2% over that duration. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. Earnings per share has been sinking by 11% over the last five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.

In Summary

In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Transcontinental's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for Transcontinental that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Is Transcontinental not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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