Loihde Oyj (HEL:LOIHDE) Is Reducing Its Dividend To €0.75

Loihde Oyj (HEL:LOIHDE) has announced that on 19th of May, it will be paying a dividend of€0.75, which a reduction from last year's comparable dividend. This payment takes the dividend yield to 1.9%, which only provides a modest boost to overall returns.

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Loihde Oyj's Future Dividend Projections Seem Positive

It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Even though Loihde Oyj isn't generating a profit, it is generating healthy free cash flows that easily cover the dividend. In general, cash flows are more important than the more traditional measures of profit so we feel pretty comfortable with the dividend at this level.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise exponentially over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 16%, so there isn't too much pressure on the dividend.

See our latest analysis for Loihde Oyj

Loihde Oyj's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

Looking back, the dividend has been unstable but with a relatively short history, we think it may be a bit early to draw conclusions about long term dividend sustainability. Since 2022, the annual payment back then was €0.14, compared to the most recent full-year payment of €0.23. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 18% over that duration. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

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. Over the past five years, it looks as though Loihde Oyj's EPS has declined at around 59% a year. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.

Loihde Oyj's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Loihde Oyj that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.