OGE Energy (NYSE:OGE) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of $0.4213

OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE:OGE) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.4213 per share on the 25th of April. This means the dividend yield will be fairly typical at 3.8%.

See our latest analysis for OGE Energy

OGE Energy's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. The last dividend made up quite a large portion of free cash flows, and this was made worse by the lack of free cash flows. Generally, we think that this would be a risky long term practice.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 17.6%. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 69% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.

OGE Energy Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was $0.90, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $1.69. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.5% a year over that time. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Unfortunately, OGE Energy's earnings per share has been essentially flat over the past five years, which means the dividend may not be increased each year. There are exceptions, but limited earnings growth and a high payout ratio can signal that a company has reached maturity. This isn't the end of the world, but for investors looking for strong dividend growth they may want to look elsewhere.

OGE Energy's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. In the past the payments have been stable, but we think the company is paying out too much for this to continue for the long term. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for OGE Energy (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing. 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.