Sturm Ruger's (NYSE:RGR) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) will increase its dividend on the 30th of November to US$0.79. This takes the dividend yield to 4.6%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

View our latest analysis for Sturm Ruger

Sturm Ruger's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. However, prior to this announcement, Sturm Ruger's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 13.9% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 38% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was US$0.32 in 2011, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$4.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 29% over that duration. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Sturm Ruger has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 14% per annum. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Sturm Ruger's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.

Sturm Ruger Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Just as an example, we've come across 3 warning signs for Sturm Ruger you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.

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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