Transcontinental (TSE:TCL.A) Will Pay A Dividend Of CA$0.23

Transcontinental Inc.'s (TSE:TCL.A) investors are due to receive a payment of CA$0.23 per share on 18th of January. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 4.5%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

View our latest analysis for Transcontinental

Transcontinental's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Transcontinental's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 13.2%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 56% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

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. Since 2011, the first annual payment was CA$0.44, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CA$0.90. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.4% a year over that time. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. In the last five years, Transcontinental's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 4.4% per annum. If the company is making less over time, it naturally follows that it will also have to pay out less in dividends. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.

In Summary

Overall, we think Transcontinental is a solid choice as a dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't raised this year. The earnings coverage is acceptable for now, but with earnings on the decline we would definitely keep an eye on the payout ratio. The dividend looks okay, but there have been some issues in the past, so we would be a little bit cautious.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Transcontinental that investors should take into consideration. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list 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.