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The board of Ramaco Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:METC) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 16th of December, with investors receiving $0.1375 per share. This will take the annual payment to 4.4% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.
View our latest analysis for Ramaco Resources
Ramaco Resources' Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions
While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Ramaco Resources' dividend made up quite a large proportion of earnings but only 47% of free cash flows. This leaves plenty of cash for reinvestment into the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise exponentially over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio will be 28%, which makes us pretty comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Ramaco Resources Is Still Building Its Track Record
The dividend has been pretty stable looking back, but the company hasn't been paying one for very long. This makes it tough to judge how it would fare through a full economic cycle. Since 2021, the dividend has gone from $0.452 total annually to $0.55. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.8% a year over that time. Investors will likely want to see a longer track record of growth before making decision to add this to their income portfolio.
Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve
Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Unfortunately, Ramaco Resources' earnings per share has been essentially flat over the past five years, which means the dividend may not be increased each year. There are exceptions, but limited earnings growth and a high payout ratio can signal that a company has reached maturity. This isn't the end of the world, but for investors looking for strong dividend growth they may want to look elsewhere.
In Summary
Overall, this is a reasonable dividend, and it being raised is an added bonus. The dividend has been at reasonable levels historically, but that hasn't translated into a consistent payment. Taking all of this into consideration, the dividend looks viable moving forward, but investors should be mindful that the company has pushed the boundaries of sustainability in the past and may do so again.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for Ramaco Resources that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
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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.