Mercury General's (NYSE:MCY) Dividend Will Be US$0.64

Mercury General Corporation's (NYSE:MCY) investors are due to receive a payment of US$0.64 per share on 30th of June. This makes the dividend yield 4.9%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

Check out our latest analysis for Mercury General

Mercury General Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. While Mercury General 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. In general, cash flows are more important than the more traditional measures of profit so we feel pretty comfortable with the dividend at this level.

Over the next year, EPS could expand by 27.7% if recent trends continue. While it is good to see income moving in the right direction, it still looks like the company won't achieve profitability. The healthy cash flows are definitely as good sign, though so we wouldn't panic just yet, especially with the earnings growing.

Mercury General Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from US$2.40 to US$2.54. Dividend payments have been growing, but very slowly over the period. Slow and steady dividend growth might not sound that exciting, but dividends have been stable for ten years, which we think makes this a fairly attractive offer.

The Company Could Face Some Challenges Growing The Dividend

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Mercury General has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 28% per annum. While the company hasn't yet recorded a profit, the growth rates are healthy. If profitability can be achieved soon and growth continues apace, this stock could certainly turn into a solid dividend payer.

In Summary

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. 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.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Mercury General that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield 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.