Mastermyne Group (ASX:MYE) Is Reducing Its Dividend To AU$0.022

Mastermyne Group Limited (ASX:MYE) is reducing its dividend to AU$0.022 on the 14th of October. This means that the dividend yield is 2.6%, which is a bit low when comparing to other companies in the industry.

While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Investors will be pleased to see that Mastermyne Group's stock price has increased by 32% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.

Check out our latest analysis for Mastermyne Group

Mastermyne Group's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Prior to this announcement, Mastermyne Group's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.

Over the next year, EPS could expand by 46.9% if recent trends continue. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 28% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

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Dividend Volatility

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. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from AU$0.048 to AU$0.03. Doing the maths, this is a decline of about 4.6% per year. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. We are encouraged to see that Mastermyne Group has grown earnings per share at 47% per year over the past five years. The company doesn't have any problems growing, despite returning a lot of capital to shareholders, which is a very nice combination for a dividend stock to have.

We Really Like Mastermyne Group's Dividend

Overall, we think that Mastermyne Group could be a great option for a dividend investment, although we would have preferred if the dividend wasn't cut this year. Reducing the amount it is paying as a dividend can protect the company's balance sheet, keeping the dividend sustainable for longer. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For instance, we've picked out 5 warning signs for Mastermyne Group that investors should take into consideration. 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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