Stalprofil's (WSE:STF) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year

The board of Stalprofil S.A. (WSE:STF) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend by 650% on the 14th of September to zł1.20. This will take the dividend yield from 1.4% to 11%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.

View our latest analysis for Stalprofil

Stalprofil's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Before making this announcement, Stalprofil was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 45.2% over the next 12 months. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 17% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

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 zł0.27 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was zł0.16. The dividend has shrunk at around 5.1% a year during that period. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Dividends have been going in the wrong direction, so we definitely want to see a different trend in the earnings per share. It's encouraging to see Stalprofil has been growing its earnings per share at 45% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

We Really Like Stalprofil's Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Stalprofil is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. 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.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Stalprofil that you should be aware of before investing. 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.