Yahoo Finance Tiptree (NASDAQ:TIPT) Has Re-Affirmed Its Dividend Of US$0.04
The board of Tiptree Inc. (NASDAQ:TIPT) has announced that it will pay a dividend of US$0.04 per share on the 31st of May. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.6%, which is below the average for the industry.
Check out our latest analysis for Tiptree
Tiptree's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. Prior to this announcement, Tiptree's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
EPS is set to fall by 22.4% over the next 12 months if recent trends continue. However, if the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 94%, meaning that most of the company's earnings is being paid out to shareholders.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from US$0.54 to US$0.16. Dividend payments have fallen sharply, down 70% over that time. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. Tiptree's EPS has fallen by approximately 22% per year during the past five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough.
In Summary
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short 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. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. To that end, Tiptree has 5 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) we think 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.
