Western Forest Products' (TSE:WEF) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year

The board of Western Forest Products Inc. (TSE:WEF) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 17th of June to CA$0.013. This takes the dividend yield to 2.1%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

View our latest analysis for Western Forest Products

Western Forest Products' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. However, Western Forest Products' earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 26.5%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 9.0%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

Western Forest Products' Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

Even in its relatively short history, the company has reduced the dividend at least once. If the company cuts once, it definitely isn't argument against the possibility of it cutting in the future. Since 2013, the first annual payment was CA$0.08, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CA$0.05. This works out to be a decline of approximately 5.1% per year over that time. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Given that dividend payments have been shrinking like a glacier in a warming world, we need to check if there are some bright spots on the horizon. Western Forest Products has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 19% per annum. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Western Forest Products' prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.

We Really Like Western Forest Products' Dividend

Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. The earnings easily cover the company's distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. However, it is worth noting that the earnings are expected to fall over the next year, which may not change the long term outlook, but could affect the dividend payment in the next 12 months. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. To that end, Western Forest Products has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) 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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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.