The board of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:GRMN) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.75 per share on the 27th of December. This takes the annual payment to 1.8% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.
View our latest analysis for Garmin
Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, Garmin was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 3.9%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 42%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from $1.80 total annually to $3.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 5.2% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. It's encouraging to see that Garmin has been growing its earnings per share at 13% a year over the past five years. Earnings are on the uptrend, and it is only paying a small portion of those earnings to shareholders.
Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Garmin is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Garmin that you should be aware of before investing. Is Garmin not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.
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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.