Matthews International (NASDAQ:MATW) Will Pay A Dividend Of $0.22

The board of Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ:MATW) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 22nd of August, with investors receiving $0.22 per share. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 3.1%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Matthews International

Matthews International Doesn't Earn Enough To Cover Its Payments

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. While Matthews International is not profitable, it is paying out less than 75% of its free cash flow, which means that there is plenty left over for reinvestment into the business. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.

EPS is forecast to rise very quickly over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 105%, which is unsustainable.

Matthews International Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.36 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $0.88. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 9.3% over that duration. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. However, things aren't all that rosy. Earnings per share has been sinking by 46% over the last five years. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend.

Our Thoughts On Matthews International's Dividend

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. The company has been bring in plenty of cash to cover the dividend, but we don't necessarily think that makes it a great dividend stock. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. To that end, Matthews International has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think 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.