In This Article:
Forward Air Corporation's (NASDAQ:FWRD) investors are due to receive a payment of $0.24 per share on 13th of June. Including this payment, the dividend yield on the stock will be 1.0%, which is a modest boost for shareholders' returns.
See our latest analysis for Forward Air
Forward Air's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
Even a low dividend yield can be attractive if it is sustained for years on end. Before making this announcement, Forward Air was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 5.7%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 14% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Forward Air Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $0.40, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.96. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.1% a year over that time. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Forward Air has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 19% per annum. Forward Air definitely has the potential to grow its dividend in the future with earnings on an uptrend and a low payout ratio.
We Really Like Forward Air's Dividend
Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think Forward Air might even raise payments in the future. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. 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. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 6 Forward Air analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.