Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.295 per share on the 30th of September. This makes the dividend yield 3.5%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Douglas Dynamics' dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 12.0%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 49%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.
Check out our latest analysis for Douglas Dynamics
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was $0.87, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $1.18. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 3.1% a year over that time. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. We are encouraged to see that Douglas Dynamics has grown earnings per share at 53% per year over the past five years. Douglas Dynamics is clearly able to grow rapidly while still returning cash to shareholders, positioning it to become a strong dividend payer in the future.
Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think Douglas Dynamics might even raise payments in the future. The distributions are easily covered by earnings, and there is plenty of cash being generated as well. We should point out that the earnings are expected to fall over the next 12 months, which won't be a problem if this doesn't become a trend, but could cause some turbulence in the next year. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Just as an example, we've come across 3 warning signs for Douglas Dynamics you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored. 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.