Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals (NSE:DEEPAKFERT) Is Paying Out Less In Dividends Than Last Year

Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (NSE:DEEPAKFERT) is reducing its dividend from last year's comparable payment to ₹8.50 on the 10th of October. Despite the cut, the dividend yield of 0.9% will still be comparable to other companies in 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. Investors will be pleased to see that Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals' stock price has increased by 71% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.

See our latest analysis for Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals

Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 80.0% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 12%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was ₹6.50, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ₹8.50. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 2.7% per annum over that time. The dividend has seen some fluctuations in the past, so even though the dividend was raised this year, we should remember that it has been cut in the past.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. It's encouraging to see that Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals has been growing its earnings per share at 53% a year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.

Our Thoughts On Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals' Dividend

Overall, it's not great to see that the dividend has been cut, but this might be explained by the payments being a bit high previously. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. To that end, Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals has 2 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about. 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.

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