RM (LON:RM.) Has Announced A Dividend Of UK£0.03

The board of RM plc (LON:RM.) has announced that it will pay a dividend of UK£0.03 per share on the 29th of April. The dividend yield will be 3.0% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

View our latest analysis for RM

RM's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. The last dividend made up quite a large portion of free cash flows, and this was made worse by the lack of free cash flows. This is a pretty unsustainable practice, and could be risky if continued for the long term.

According to analysts, EPS should be several times higher next year. If recent patterns in the dividend continue, we could see the payout ratio reaching 24% which is fairly sustainable.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was UK£0.034 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was UK£0.06. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 5.8% over that duration. A reasonable rate of dividend growth is good to see, but we're wary that the dividend history is not as solid as we'd like, having been cut at least once.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

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. Over the past five years, it looks as though RM's EPS has declined at around 19% a year. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.

RM's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about RM's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. The track record isn't great, and the payments are a bit high to be considered sustainable. 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. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Case in point: We've spotted 5 warning signs for RM (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about. 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.