Is Polypipe Group plc (LON:PLP) An Attractive Dividend Stock?

A large part of investment returns can be generated by dividend-paying stock given their role in compounding returns over time. Polypipe Group plc (LON:PLP) has recently paid dividends to shareholders, and currently yields 3.2%. Does Polypipe Group tick all the boxes of a great dividend stock? Below, I'll take you through my analysis.

See our latest analysis for Polypipe Group

5 checks you should use to assess a dividend stock

Whenever I am looking at a potential dividend stock investment, I always check these five metrics:

• Is their annual yield among the top 25% of dividend payers?
• Does it consistently pay out dividends without missing a payment of significantly cutting payout?
• Has the amount of dividend per share grown over the past?
• Can it afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?
• Based on future earnings growth, will it be able to continue to payout dividend at the current rate?

How well does Polypipe Group fit our criteria?

The current trailing twelve-month payout ratio for the stock is 49%, which means that the dividend is covered by earnings. However, going forward, analysts expect PLP's payout to fall to 41% of its earnings, which leads to a dividend yield of 3.6%. However, EPS should increase to £0.29, meaning that the lower payout ratio does not necessarily implicate a lower dividend payment.

When considering the sustainability of dividends, it is also worth checking the cash flow of a company. Companies with strong cash flow can sustain a higher payout ratio, while companies with weaker cash flow generally cannot.

If there is one thing that you want to be reliable in your life, it's dividend stocks and their constant income stream. Unfortunately, it is really too early to view Polypipe Group as a dividend investment. It has only been consistently paying dividends for 4 years, however, standard practice for reliable payers is to look for a 10-year minimum track record.

In terms of its peers, Polypipe Group produces a yield of 3.2%, which is on the low-side for Building stocks.

Next Steps:

If Polypipe Group is in your portfolio for cash-generating reasons, there may be better alternatives out there. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, the stock could still be an interesting investment opportunity. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the company's fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. Below, I've compiled three essential aspects you should look at:

1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for PLP’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for PLP’s outlook.
2. Valuation: What is PLP worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it's not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether PLP is currently mispriced by the market.
3. Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.

To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.

The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

Simply Wall St analyst Simply Wall St and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article 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.