Bapcor's (ASX:BAP) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year

The board of Bapcor Limited (ASX:BAP) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of A$0.115 on the 16th of September, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This makes the dividend yield 3.2%, which is above the industry average.

View our latest analysis for Bapcor

Bapcor's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Prior to this announcement, Bapcor's dividend was only 58% of earnings, however it was paying out 157% of free cash flows. The company might be more focused on returning cash to shareholders, but paying out this much of its cash flow could expose the dividend to being cut in the future.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 31.9%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 49% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Bapcor Is Still Building Its Track Record

The dividend's track record has been pretty solid, but with only 8 years of history we want to see a few more years of history before making any solid conclusions. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from A$0.08 total annually to A$0.215. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 13% a year over that time. It is always nice to see strong dividend growth, but with such a short payment history we wouldn't be inclined to rely on it until a longer track record can be developed.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. We are encouraged to see that Bapcor has grown earnings per share at 13% per year over the past five years. While on an earnings basis, this company looks appealing as an income stock, the cash payout ratio still makes us cautious.

Our Thoughts On Bapcor's Dividend

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. While Bapcor is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Bapcor that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.

Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here