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ProAssurance's (NYSE:PRA) Dividend Will Be US$0.05

ProAssurance Corporation (NYSE:PRA) will pay a dividend of US$0.05 on the 8th of October. This means the annual payment will be 0.8% of the current stock price, which is lower than the industry average.

See our latest analysis for ProAssurance

ProAssurance Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Even though ProAssurance isn't generating a profit, it is generating healthy free cash flows that easily cover the dividend. This gives us some comfort about the level of the dividend payments.

Looking forward, earnings per share could 63.3% over the next year if the trend of the last few years can't be broken. This means that the company will be unprofitable, but cash flows are more important when considering the dividend and as the current cash payout ratio is pretty healthy, we don't think there is too much reason to worry.

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Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2011, the first annual payment was US$0.50, compared to the most recent full-year payment of US$0.20. This works out to be a decline of approximately 8.8% per year 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.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. Over the past five years, it looks as though ProAssurance's EPS has declined at around 63% a year. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in.

ProAssurance's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good 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. Without at least some growth in earnings per share over time, the dividend will eventually come under pressure either from competition or inflation. Very few businesses see earnings consistently shrink year after year in perpetuity though, and so it might be worth seeing what the 3 analysts we track are forecasting for the future. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.

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.

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