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Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SWBI) investors are due to receive a payment of $0.13 per share on 2nd of January. This makes the dividend yield 4.6%, which is above the industry average.
See our latest analysis for Smith & Wesson Brands
Smith & Wesson Brands' Payment Could Potentially Have 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 dividend, Smith & Wesson Brands is earning enough to cover the payment, but then it makes up 430% of cash flows. This signals that the company is more focused on returning cash flow to shareholders, but it could mean that the dividend is exposed to cuts in the future.
EPS is set to grow by 1.6% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 81%, which is on the higher side, but certainly still feasible.
Smith & Wesson Brands Is Still Building Its Track Record
The dividend hasn't seen any major cuts in the past, but the company has only been paying a dividend for 4 years, which isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.20 in 2020 to the most recent total annual payment of $0.52. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 27% a year over that time. The dividend has been growing rapidly, however with such a short payment history we can't know for sure if payment can continue to grow over the long term, so caution may be warranted.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. We are encouraged to see that Smith & Wesson Brands has grown earnings per share at 47% per year over the past five years. The company doesn't have any problems growing, despite returning a lot of capital to shareholders, which is a very nice combination for a dividend stock to have.
In Summary
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Smith & Wesson Brands will make a great income stock. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
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. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Smith & Wesson Brands that you should be aware of before investing. 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.