Allied Electronics (JSE:AEL) Will Pay A Smaller Dividend Than Last Year

Allied Electronics Corporation Limited (JSE:AEL) has announced it will be reducing its dividend payable on the 7th of June to R0.15. The dividend yield of 12% is still a nice boost to shareholder returns, despite the cut.

See our latest analysis for Allied Electronics

Allied Electronics Is Paying Out More Than It Is Earning

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Before making this announcement, Allied Electronics' dividend was higher than its profits, but the free cash flows quite comfortably covered it. Given that the dividend is a cash outflow, we think that cash is more important than accounting measures of profit when assessing the dividend, so this is a mitigating factor.

Looking forward, EPS could fall by 26.1% if the company can't turn things around from the last few years. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 854%, which is definitely a bit high to be 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. The dividend has gone from R1.08 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of R0.48. This works out to be a decline of approximately 7.8% per year over that time. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

With a relatively unstable dividend, and a poor history of shrinking dividends, it's even more important to see if EPS is growing. Allied Electronics' earnings per share has shrunk at 26% a year over the past five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough.

The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable

Overall, the dividend looks like it may have been a bit high, which explains why it has now been cut. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to it. We don't think Allied Electronics is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For instance, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Allied Electronics that investors should take into consideration. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of strong dividend payers.

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