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The board of Surge Energy Inc. (TSE:SGY) has announced that it will pay a dividend of CA$0.0433 per share on the 17th of March. This makes the dividend yield 9.0%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
See our latest analysis for Surge Energy
Surge Energy Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. While Surge Energy is not profitable, it is paying out less than 75% of its free cash flow, which means that there is plenty left over for reinvestment into the business. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.
Analysts are expecting EPS to grow by 80.2% over the next 12 months. We like to see the company moving towards profitability, but this probably won't be enough for it to post positive net income this year. However, the positive cash flow ratio gives us some comfort about the sustainability of the dividend.
Dividend Volatility
The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The dividend has gone from an annual total of CA$4.59 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of CA$0.52. Dividend payments have fallen sharply, down 89% over that time. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.
The Company Could Face Some Challenges Growing The Dividend
Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. We are encouraged to see that Surge Energy has grown earnings per share at 50% per year over the past five years. While the company hasn't yet recorded a profit, the growth rates are healthy. If profitability can be achieved soon and growth continues apace, this stock could certainly turn into a solid dividend payer.
In Summary
Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Surge Energy 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.