Heavitree Brewery's (LON:HVTA) Dividend Will Be £0.0225

The Heavitree Brewery PLC (LON:HVTA) has announced that it will pay a dividend of £0.0225 per share on the 2nd of August. This takes the dividend yield to 2.8%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

View our latest analysis for Heavitree Brewery

Heavitree Brewery's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, Heavitree Brewery was earning enough to cover the dividend, but free cash flows weren't positive. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

Unless the company can turn things around, EPS could fall by 0.4% over the next year. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 20%, which is definitely feasible to continue.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from £0.07 total annually to £0.045. Doing the maths, this is a decline of about 4.3% per year. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

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. Although it's important to note that Heavitree Brewery's earnings per share has basically not grown from where it was five years ago, which could erode the purchasing power of the dividend over time.

The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Heavitree Brewery's payments are rock solid. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Heavitree Brewery that you should be aware of before investing. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com