Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO) Will Pay A Dividend Of $0.06

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc.'s (NYSE:ARCO) investors are due to receive a payment of $0.06 per share on 27th of March. This makes the dividend yield 2.9%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

See our latest analysis for Arcos Dorados Holdings

Arcos Dorados Holdings' Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Arcos Dorados Holdings is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 29.1%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 26%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was $0.238, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.24. Dividend payments have grown at less than 1% a year over this period. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. It's encouraging to see that Arcos Dorados Holdings has been growing its earnings per share at 13% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.

In Summary

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Arcos Dorados Holdings that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.