Superior Plus (TSE:SPB) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of CA$0.06

Superior Plus Corp. (TSE:SPB) has announced that it will pay a dividend of CA$0.06 per share on the 15th of November. This makes the dividend yield 7.2%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

Our analysis indicates that SPB is potentially undervalued!

Superior Plus' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Before making this announcement, the company's dividend was much higher than its earnings. Without profits and cash flows increasing, it would be difficult for the company to continue paying the dividend at this level.

The next 12 months could see EPS growing very rapidly. Assuming the dividend continues along the path it has been on, the payout ratio could get to 87% which is certainly still sustainable.

Superior Plus Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The dividend has gone from an annual total of CA$0.60 in 2012 to the most recent total annual payment of CA$0.72. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 1.8% a year over that time. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. Earnings per share has been sinking by 24% over the last five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend.

We should note that Superior Plus has issued stock equal to 15% of shares outstanding. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

Superior Plus' Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. We can't deny that the payments have been very stable, but we are a little bit worried about the very high payout ratio. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. To that end, Superior Plus has 5 warning signs (and 2 which are 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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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.