The board of Escorts Kubota Limited (NSE:ESCORTS) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 15th of August, with investors receiving ₹18.00 per share. This makes the dividend yield 1.2%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Before making this announcement, Escorts Kubota was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 40.9%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 26% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
See our latest analysis for Escorts Kubota
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The dividend has gone from an annual total of ₹1.20 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of ₹36.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 41% a year over that time. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. We are encouraged to see that Escorts Kubota has grown earnings per share at 13% per year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.
Overall, we think that this is a great income investment, and we think that maintaining the dividend this year may have been a conservative choice. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 15 analysts we track are forecasting for Escorts Kubota for free with public analyst estimates for the company. Is Escorts Kubota 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.