eQ Oyj's (HEL:EQV1V) Dividend Will Be Reduced To €0.40

eQ Oyj's (HEL:EQV1V) dividend is being reduced from last year's payment covering the same period to €0.40 on the 3rd of April. However, the dividend yield of 5.6% still remains in a typical range for the industry.

View our latest analysis for eQ Oyj

eQ Oyj's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, the company wasn't making enough to cover what it was paying to shareholders. This situation certainly isn't ideal, and could place significant strain on the balance sheet if it continues.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 30.1%. Assuming the dividend continues along the course it has been charting recently, our estimates show the payout ratio being 47% which brings it into quite a comfortable range.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was €0.12, compared to the most recent full-year payment of €0.80. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 21% over that duration. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.

eQ Oyj's Dividend Might Lack Growth

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. We are encouraged to see that eQ Oyj has grown earnings per share at 10% per year over the past five years. While EPS is growing at a decent rate, but future growth could be limited by the amount of earnings being paid out to shareholders.

eQ Oyj's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, the dividend looks like it may have been a bit high, which explains why it has now been cut. Strong earnings growth means eQ Oyj has the potential to be a good dividend stock in the future, despite the current payments being at elevated levels. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for eQ Oyj that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.