Black Diamond Group Limited (TSE:BDI) will pay a dividend of CA$0.035 on the 15th of July. The dividend yield will be 1.5% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. However, Black Diamond Group's earnings easily cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 12.3% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 19% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
View our latest analysis for Black Diamond Group
While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of CA$0.90 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of CA$0.14. This works out to a decline of approximately 84% over that time. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.
With a relatively unstable dividend, and a poor history of shrinking dividends, it's even more important to see if EPS is growing. We are encouraged to see that Black Diamond Group has grown earnings per share at 41% per year over the past five years. 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.
Overall, we think that this is a great income investment, and we think that maintaining the dividend this year may have been a conservative choice. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
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. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Black Diamond Group that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.