Mercury NZ (NZSE:MCY) Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To NZ$0.12

Mercury NZ Limited (NZSE:MCY) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 30th of September to NZ$0.12. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 3.0%.

View our latest analysis for Mercury NZ

Mercury NZ Is Paying Out More Than It Is Earning

Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Prior to this announcement, the company was paying out 164% of what it was earning. Without profits and cash flows increasing, it would be difficult for the company to continue paying the dividend at this level.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 18.4%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could reach 168%, which probably can't continue putting some pressure on the balance sheet.

Mercury NZ's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

Looking back, Mercury NZ's dividend hasn't been particularly consistent. Due to this, we are a little bit cautious about the dividend consistency over a full economic cycle. The first annual payment during the last 8 years was NZ$0.13 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was NZ$0.17. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 3.4% over that duration. 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.

Mercury NZ May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. In the last five years, Mercury NZ's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 2.3% per annum. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.

We're Not Big Fans Of Mercury NZ's Dividend

In summary, investors will like to be receiving a higher dividend, but we have some questions about whether it can be sustained over the long term. The company seems to be stretching itself a bit to make such big payments, but it doesn't appear they can be consistent over time. Overall, the dividend is not reliable enough to make this a good income stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Mercury NZ (1 is concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.

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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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