RIT Capital Partners (LON:RCP) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

RIT Capital Partners plc's (LON:RCP) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to £0.185 on 28th of October. Even though the dividend went up, the yield is still quite low at only 1.5%.

View our latest analysis for RIT Capital Partners

RIT Capital Partners' Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. RIT Capital Partners is not generating a profit, but its free cash flows easily cover the dividend, leaving plenty for reinvestment in the business. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.

Assuming the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 25.2% over the next 12 months. While it is good to see income moving in the right direction, it still looks like the company won't achieve profitability. The positive free cash flows give us some comfort, however, that the dividend could continue to be sustained.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the annual payment back then was £0.04, compared to the most recent full-year payment of £0.37. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 25% per annum over that time. Despite the rapid growth in the dividend over the past number of years, we have seen the payments go down the past as well, so that makes us cautious.

The Company Could Face Some Challenges Growing The Dividend

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. RIT Capital Partners has impressed us by growing EPS at 25% per year over the past five years. Even though the company is not profitable, it is growing at a solid clip. If profitability can be achieved soon and growth continues apace, this stock could certainly turn into a solid dividend payer.

In Summary

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. The company is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for RIT Capital Partners that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.