The board of Treatt plc (LON:TET) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 14th of August, with investors receiving £0.026 per share. This means that the annual payment will be 3.3% of the current stock price, which is in line with the average for the industry.
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. Treatt's stock price has reduced by 40% in the last 3 months, which is not ideal for investors and can explain a sharp increase in the dividend yield.
We've discovered 1 warning sign about Treatt. View them for free.Treatt's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage
We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Based on the last payment, Treatt was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 38.5%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 35%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
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Treatt Has A Solid Track Record
The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. The dividend has gone from an annual total of £0.0384 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of £0.0841. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 8.2% a year over that time. Companies like this can be very valuable over the long term, if the decent rate of growth can be maintained.
Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. However, Treatt has only grown its earnings per share at 3.2% per annum over the past five years. Growth of 3.2% per annum is not particularly high, which might explain why the company is paying out a higher proportion of earnings. This isn't necessarily bad, but we wouldn't expect rapid dividend growth in the future.
We Really Like Treatt's Dividend
In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.
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. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Treatt that you should be aware of before investing. 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.