Intermediate Capital Group's (LON:ICG) Dividend Will Be £0.263

The board of Intermediate Capital Group plc (LON:ICG) has announced that it will pay a dividend of £0.263 per share on the 10th of January. The payment will take the dividend yield to 3.7%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Intermediate Capital Group

Intermediate Capital Group's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Based on the last payment, Intermediate Capital Group was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 31.2%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 50% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

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 dividend has gone from £0.276 total annually to £0.795. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% a year over that time. 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 Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. It's encouraging to see that Intermediate Capital Group has been growing its earnings per share at 14% a year over the past five years. Earnings are on the uptrend, and it is only paying a small portion of those earnings to shareholders.

Intermediate Capital Group Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Intermediate Capital Group that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.