Transcontinental (TSE:TCL.A) Has Re-Affirmed Its Dividend Of CA$0.23

Transcontinental Inc.'s (TSE:TCL.A) investors are due to receive a payment of CA$0.23 per share on 25th of July. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 5.6%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for Transcontinental

Transcontinental's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Transcontinental's dividend was only 69% of earnings, however it was paying out 113% of free cash flows. While the company may be more focused on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business at this time, we think that a cash payout ratio this high might expose the dividend to being cut if the business ran into some challenges.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 14.3%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 63% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Transcontinental Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from CA$0.54 to CA$0.90. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 5.2% 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.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. Over the past five years, it looks as though Transcontinental's EPS has declined at around 12% a year. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. Over the next year, however, earnings are actually predicted to rise, but we would still be cautious until a track record of earnings growth can be built.

Our Thoughts On Transcontinental's Dividend

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 3 warning signs for Transcontinental that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.