The board of Insperity, Inc. (NYSE:NSP) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 20th of June, with investors receiving $0.60 per share. This makes the dividend yield 3.7%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, the company wasn't making enough to cover what it was paying to shareholders. This situation certainly isn't ideal, and could place significant strain on the balance sheet if it continues.
The next 12 months is set to see EPS grow by 64.4%. However, if the dividend continues along recent trends, it could start putting pressure on the balance sheet with the payout ratio reaching 103% over the next year.
View our latest analysis for Insperity
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.38 in 2015, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $2.40. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 20% per annum over that time. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time.
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. Earnings per share has been sinking by 13% over the last five years. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend.
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. 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. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Just as an example, we've come across 3 warning signs for Insperity you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. 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.