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The board of The York Water Company (NASDAQ:YORW) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 15th of October, with investors receiving $0.2108 per share. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 2.2%.
See our latest analysis for York Water
York Water's Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions
We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Before making this announcement, York Water was earning enough to cover the dividend, but it wasn't generating any free cash flows. Since a dividend means the company is paying out cash to investors, this could prove to be a problem in the future.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 1.7%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 56%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.
York Water Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was $0.553, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.843. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 4.3% per annum over that time. Slow and steady dividend growth might not sound that exciting, but dividends have been stable for ten years, which we think makes this a fairly attractive offer.
York Water Could Grow Its Dividend
Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. We are encouraged to see that York Water has grown earnings per share at 8.0% per year over the past five years. The lack of cash flows does make us a bit cautious though, especially when it comes to the future of the dividend.
In Summary
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think York Water will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. 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. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 2 warning signs for York Water you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. 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.