Yahoo Finance Extendicare (TSE:EXE) Has Announced A Dividend Of CA$0.04
Extendicare Inc. (TSE:EXE) has announced that it will pay a dividend of CA$0.04 per share on the 17th of April. The dividend yield will be 7.9% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.
View our latest analysis for Extendicare
Extendicare Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Even though Extendicare is not generating a profit, it is still paying a dividend. It is also not generating any free cash flow, we definitely have concerns when it comes to the sustainability of the dividend.
Recent, EPS has fallen by 11.1%, so this could continue over the next year. This will push the company into unprofitability, which means the managers will have to choose between suspending the dividend, or paying it out of cash reserves.
Extendicare's Track Record Isn't Great
The dividend hasn't seen any major cuts in the last 10 years, but it has slowly been decreasing. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was CA$0.84, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CA$0.48. This works out to be a decline of approximately 5.4% 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
With a relatively unstable dividend, and a poor history of shrinking dividends, it's even more important to see if EPS is growing. Extendicare's EPS has fallen by approximately 11% per year during the past five years. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in.
Extendicare'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. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For instance, we've picked out 3 warning signs for Extendicare that investors should take into consideration. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.
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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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