Yahoo Finance Patterson Companies (NASDAQ:PDCO) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of $0.26
Patterson Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PDCO) will pay a dividend of $0.26 on the 3rd of February. The dividend yield will be 3.7% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.
See our latest analysis for Patterson Companies
Patterson Companies' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, Patterson Companies' earnings were much higher than the dividend, but it wasn't converting those earnings into cash flow. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 13.6% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 45% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Patterson Companies Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from $0.56 total annually to $1.04. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 6.4% per annum over that time. Companies like this can be very valuable over the long term, if the decent rate of growth can be maintained.
Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. However, Patterson Companies has only grown its earnings per share at 3.7% per annum over the past five years. The company has been growing at a pretty soft 3.7% per annum, and is paying out quite a lot of its earnings to shareholders. This isn't necessarily bad, but we wouldn't expect rapid dividend growth in the future.
Our Thoughts On Patterson Companies' Dividend
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Patterson Companies' payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
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. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Patterson Companies (of which 2 are a bit unpleasant!) you should know about. 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.
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