Universal Logistics Holdings (NASDAQ:ULH) Has Announced A Dividend Of $0.105

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH) will pay a dividend of $0.105 on the 3rd of January. The dividend yield is 1.1% based on this payment, which is a little bit low compared to the other companies in the industry.

See our latest analysis for Universal Logistics Holdings

Universal Logistics Holdings' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. However, Universal Logistics Holdings' earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 3.6% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 7.4% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the annual payment back then was $1.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.42. This works out to be a decline of approximately 8.3% per year over that time. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. Universal Logistics Holdings has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 91% per annum. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

We Really Like Universal Logistics Holdings' Dividend

In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Universal Logistics Holdings 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.