Yahoo Finance Gray Television (NYSE:GTN.A) Has Re-Affirmed Its Dividend Of US$0.08
The board of Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN.A) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 30th of June, with investors receiving US$0.08 per share. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.8%, which is below the average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Gray Television
Gray Television's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. The last dividend was quite easily covered by Gray Television's earnings. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Looking forward, EPS could fall by 6.2% 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, we estimate the payout ratio could be 53%, which is definitely feasible to continue.
Gray Television Is Still Building Its Track Record
Without a track record of dividend payments, we can't make a judgement on how stable it has been. This doesn't mean that the company can't pay a good dividend, but just that we want to wait until it can prove itself.
Dividend Growth Is Doubtful
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. It's not great to see that Gray Television's earnings per share has fallen at approximately 6.2% per year over the past five years. Declining earnings will inevitably lead to the company paying a lower dividend in line with lower profits.
In Summary
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Gray Television's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. 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 cover it. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've identified 5 warning signs for Gray Television (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) 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 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.
