Maximus' (NYSE:MMS) Dividend Will Be $0.28

Maximus, Inc.'s (NYSE:MMS) investors are due to receive a payment of $0.28 per share on 31st of May. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.4%, which is below the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Maximus

Maximus' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Even a low dividend yield can be attractive if it is sustained for years on end. Before making this announcement, Maximus was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 20.4% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 42%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Maximus Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from $0.18 total annually to $1.12. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 20% per annum over that time. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. It's not great to see that Maximus' earnings per share has fallen at approximately 3.7% per year over the past five years. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed. 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.

In Summary

Overall, a consistent dividend is a good thing, and we think that Maximus has the ability to continue this into the future. The earnings coverage is acceptable for now, but with earnings on the decline we would definitely keep an eye on the payout ratio. This looks like it could be a good dividend stock going forward, but we would note that the payout ratio has been at higher levels in the past so it could happen again.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. 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 3 warning signs for Maximus that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Is Maximus not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.