The board of The Bidvest Group Limited (JSE:BVT) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of ZAR4.39 on the 2nd of October, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 3.2%.
Check out our latest analysis for Bidvest Group
Bidvest Group's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions
While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. The last dividend was quite easily covered by Bidvest Group's earnings. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 44.7%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 34%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
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 2013, the annual payment back then was ZAR6.66, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ZAR8.76. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 2.8% per annum over that time. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.
Bidvest Group Could Grow Its Dividend
Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Bidvest Group has impressed us by growing EPS at 9.1% per year over the past five years. Shareholders are getting plenty of the earnings returned to them, which combined with strong growth makes this quite appealing.
We Really Like Bidvest Group's Dividend
Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
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 instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Bidvest 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 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.