SpartanNash (NASDAQ:SPTN) Has Announced A Dividend Of $0.215

The board of SpartanNash Company (NASDAQ:SPTN) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 29th of December, with investors receiving $0.215 per share. This makes the dividend yield 3.9%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

View our latest analysis for SpartanNash

SpartanNash's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, SpartanNash's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 122.4% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 34% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

SpartanNash Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $0.32, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.86. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 10% over that duration. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. Earnings per share has been sinking by 12% over the last five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. 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 SpartanNash's Dividend

In summary, we are pleased with the dividend remaining consistent, and we think there is a good chance of this continuing in the future. While the payments look sustainable for now, earnings have been shrinking so the dividend could come under pressure in the future. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. 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 1 warning sign for SpartanNash that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.