Thule Group (STO:THULE) Is Reducing Its Dividend To SEK4.15

Thule Group AB (publ) (STO:THULE) is reducing its dividend from last year's comparable payment to SEK4.15 on the 7th of May. The dividend yield will be in the average range for the industry at 2.7%.

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Thule Group's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Before this announcement, Thule Group was paying out 85% of earnings, but a comparatively small 44% of free cash flows. Since the dividend is just paying out cash to shareholders, we care more about the cash payout ratio from which we can see plenty is being left over for reinvestment in the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 71.3%. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 57% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.

Check out our latest analysis for Thule Group

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of SEK2.00 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of SEK8.30. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 15% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Earnings per share has been crawling upwards at 4.0% per year. Earnings are not growing quickly at all, and the company is paying out most of its profit as dividends. When the rate of return on reinvestment opportunities falls below a certain minimum level, companies often elect to pay a larger dividend instead. This is why many mature companies often have larger dividend yields.

In Summary

In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. We don't think Thule Group is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for Thule Group that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.