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Saputo (TSE:SAP) Will Pay A Dividend Of CA$0.18

The board of Saputo Inc. (TSE:SAP) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 16th of September, with investors receiving CA$0.18 per share. This means the dividend yield will be fairly typical at 2.1%.

View our latest analysis for Saputo

Saputo's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. Prior to this announcement, Saputo's dividend was making up a very large proportion of earnings and perhaps more concerning was that it was 147% of cash flows. Paying out such a high proportion of cash flows certainly exposes the company to cutting the dividend if cash flows were to reduce.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 139.6%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 36%, which would make us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend, despite the levels currently being quite high.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Saputo Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. The dividend has gone from an annual total of CA$0.38 in 2012 to the most recent total annual payment of CA$0.72. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 6.6% per annum over that time. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. However, things aren't all that rosy. Earnings per share has been sinking by 15% over the last five years. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.

Saputo'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 stable, but we think the company is paying out too much for this to continue for the long term. 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. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Saputo (1 is significant!) that you should be aware of before investing. 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.

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