The board of Geratherm Medical AG (ETR:GME) has announced it will be reducing its dividend by 70% on the 29th of June, with shareholders receiving €0.12. However, the dividend yield of 1.6% is still a decent boost to shareholder returns.
See our latest analysis for Geratherm Medical
Geratherm Medical's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, the company's dividend was much higher than its earnings. It will be difficult to sustain this level of payout so we wouldn't be confident about this continuing.
Looking forward, EPS could fall by 6.8% if the company can't turn things around from the last few years. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 39%, which is more comfortable than the current payout ratio.
Dividend Volatility
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from €0.30 to €0.40. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 2.9% a year over that time. Modest growth in the dividend is good to see, but we think this is offset by historical cuts to the payments. It is hard to live on a dividend income if the company's earnings are not consistent.
Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Come By
Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. It's not great to see that Geratherm Medical's earnings per share has fallen at approximately 6.8% per year over the past five years. If the company is making less over time, it naturally follows that it will also have to pay out less in dividends.
Geratherm Medical's Dividend Doesn't Look Great
To sum up, we don't like when dividends are cut, but in this case the dividend may have been too high to begin with. The company isn't making enough to be paying as much as it is, and the other factors don't look particularly promising either. The dividend doesn't inspire confidence that it will provide solid income in the future.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Geratherm Medical (of which 2 make us uncomfortable!) 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.
New: Manage All Your Stock Portfolios in One Place
We've created the ultimate portfolio companion for stock investors, and it's free.
• Connect an unlimited number of Portfolios and see your total in one currency
• Be alerted to new Warning Signs or Risks via email or mobile
• Track the Fair Value of your stocks
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
About XTRA:GME
Good value with moderate growth potential.
