MultiChoice Group (JSE:MCG) Has Announced A Dividend Of R5.65

MultiChoice Group Limited's (JSE:MCG) investors are due to receive a payment of R5.65 per share on 12th of September. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 4.9%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for MultiChoice Group

MultiChoice Group Is Paying Out More Than It Is Earning

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, the company was paying out 178% of what it was earning, however the dividend was quite comfortably covered by free cash flows at a cash payout ratio of only 32%. Generally, we think cash is more important than accounting measures of profit, so with the cash flows easily covering the dividend, we don't think there is much reason to worry.

EPS is set to grow by 49.9% over the next year if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues on its recent course, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 118%, which is a bit high and could start applying pressure to the balance sheet.

MultiChoice Group Doesn't Have A Long Payment History

The dividend has been pretty stable looking back, but the company hasn't been paying one for very long. This makes it tough to judge how it would fare through a full economic cycle. The first annual payment during the last 3 years was R5.69 in 2019, and the most recent fiscal year payment was R5.65. Payments have been decreasing at a very slow pace in this time period. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.

MultiChoice Group Might Find It Hard To Grow Its Dividend

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. We are encouraged to see that MultiChoice Group has grown earnings per share at 50% per year over the past five years. While EPS is growing rapidly, MultiChoice Group paid out a very high 178% of its income as dividends. If earnings continue to grow, this dividend may be sustainable, but we think a payout this high definitely bears watching.

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 is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

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 MultiChoice Group 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.