Yahoo Finance Atrium Mortgage Investment (TSE:AI) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of CA$0.075
The board of Atrium Mortgage Investment Corporation (TSE:AI) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 12th of May, with investors receiving CA$0.075 per share. This means the annual payment is 9.4% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Atrium Mortgage Investment
Atrium Mortgage Investment Doesn't Earn Enough To Cover Its Payments
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Before making this announcement, Atrium Mortgage Investment's was paying out quite a large proportion of earnings and 84% of free cash flows. This is usually an indication that the focus of the company is returning cash to shareholders rather than reinvesting it for growth.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 2.2%. If the dividend continues on its recent course, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 104%, which is a bit high and could start applying pressure to the balance sheet.
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 2013, the annual payment back then was CA$0.83, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CA$1.13. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 3.1% per annum over that time. The dividend has seen some fluctuations in the past, so even though the dividend was raised this year, we should remember that it has been cut in the past.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Earnings per share has been crawling upwards at 2.4% per year. There are exceptions, but limited earnings growth and a high payout ratio can signal that a company has reached maturity. That's fine as far as it goes, but we're less enthusiastic as this often signals that the dividend is likely to grow slower in the future.
In Summary
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Atrium Mortgage Investment's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. The track record isn't great, and the payments are a bit high to be considered sustainable. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.
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. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Atrium Mortgage Investment (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about. 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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