Is Enghouse Systems Limited (TSE:ENGH) A Good Dividend Stock?

A large part of investment returns can be generated by dividend-paying stock given their role in compounding returns over time. Historically, Enghouse Systems Limited (TSE:ENGH) has paid a dividend to shareholders. It currently yields 1.0%. Does Enghouse Systems tick all the boxes of a great dividend stock? Below, I'll take you through my analysis.

Check out our latest analysis for Enghouse Systems

Here's how I find good dividend stocks

When assessing a stock as a potential addition to my dividend Portfolio, I look at these five areas:

• Is it paying an annual yield above 75% of dividend payers?
• Has its dividend been stable over the past (i.e. no missed payments or significant payout cuts)?
• Has dividend per share amount increased over the past?
• Does earnings amply cover its dividend payments?
• Based on future earnings growth, will it be able to continue to payout dividend at the current rate?

How does Enghouse Systems fare?

Enghouse Systems has a trailing twelve-month payout ratio of 33%, which means that the dividend is covered by earnings. However, going forward, analysts expect ENGH's payout to fall to 26% of its earnings, which leads to a dividend yield of around 1.0%. However, EPS should increase to CA$2.35, meaning that the lower payout ratio does not necessarily implicate a lower dividend payment.

When considering the sustainability of dividends, it is also worth checking the cash flow of a company. A company with strong cash flow, relative to earnings, can sometimes sustain a high pay out ratio.

If there's one type of stock you want to be reliable, it's dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. Dividend payments from Enghouse Systems have been volatile in the past 10 years, with some years experiencing significant drops of over 25%. This means that dividend hunters should probably steer clear of the stock, at least for now until the track record improves.

In terms of its peers, Enghouse Systems generates a yield of 1.0%, which is on the low-side for Software stocks.

Next Steps:

Now you know to keep in mind the reason why investors should be careful investing in Enghouse Systems for the dividend. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, the stock could still be an interesting investment opportunity. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, I recommend taking sufficient time to understand its core business and determine whether the company and its investment properties suit your overall goals. Below, I've compiled three important aspects you should further research:

1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for ENGH’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for ENGH’s outlook.
2. Valuation: What is ENGH worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it's not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether ENGH is currently mispriced by the market.
3. Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.

To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.

The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

Simply Wall St analyst Simply Wall St and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article 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.