Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.14 per share on the 28th of October. This means the dividend yield will be fairly typical at 1.5%.

Check out our latest analysis for Methode Electronics

Methode Electronics' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. However, Methode Electronics' earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 19.3% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 19% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Methode Electronics Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.28 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $0.56. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 7.2% 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.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Although it's important to note that Methode Electronics' earnings per share has basically not grown from where it was five years ago, which could erode the purchasing power of the dividend over time. Earnings growth is slow, but on the plus side, the dividend payout ratio is low and dividends could grow faster than earnings, if the company decides to increase its payout ratio.

Methode Electronics Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Methode Electronics that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is Methode Electronics not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.