Yahoo Finance Argo Investments (ASX:ARG) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of AU$0.14
Argo Investments Limited's (ASX:ARG) investors are due to receive a payment of AU$0.14 per share on 17th of September. This means the dividend yield will be fairly typical at 2.9%.
See our latest analysis for Argo Investments
Argo Investments Is Paying Out More Than It Is Earning
Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Prior to this announcement, the company was paying out 136% of what it was earning. This situation certainly isn't ideal, and could place significant strain on the balance sheet if it continues.
If the company can't turn things around, EPS could fall by 10.4% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could reach 153%, which could put the dividend under pressure if earnings don't start to improve.
Argo Investments Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from AU$0.26 to AU$0.28. Its dividends have grown at less than 1% per annum over this time frame. Although we can't deny that the dividend has been remarkably stable in the past, the growth has been pretty muted.
Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. However, things aren't all that rosy. Earnings per share has been sinking by 10% over the last five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future.
Argo Investments' Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Argo Investments' payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. 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. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Argo Investments (1 is potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.
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.
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