Titon Holdings (LON:TON) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of UK£0.015

Titon Holdings Plc (LON:TON) will pay a dividend of UK£0.015 on the 1st of July. The dividend yield will be 6.0% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Titon Holdings' stock price has reduced by 32% in the last 3 months, which is not ideal for investors and can explain a sharp increase in the dividend yield.

View our latest analysis for Titon Holdings

Titon Holdings Is Paying Out More Than It Is Earning

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, earnings were actually smaller than the dividend, and the company was actually spending more cash than it was making. This high of a dividend payment could start to put pressure on the balance sheet in the future.

EPS is set to fall by 23.9% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 174%, which is definitely a bit high to be sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the first annual payment was UK£0.02, compared to the most recent full-year payment of UK£0.045. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 8.4% a year over that time. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. Titon Holdings might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Titon Holdings' earnings per share has shrunk at 27% a year over the past 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.

We're Not Big Fans Of Titon Holdings' Dividend

Overall, this isn't a great candidate as an income investment, even though the dividend was stable this year. The company seems to be stretching itself a bit to make such big payments, but it doesn't appear they can be consistent over time. We don't think that this is a great candidate to be an income stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 4 warning signs for Titon Holdings you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.