Yahoo Finance Transcontinental (TSE:TCL.A) Has Announced A Dividend Of CA$0.23
The board of Transcontinental Inc. (TSE:TCL.A) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 18th of January, with investors receiving CA$0.23 per share. This means the annual payment is 4.5% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.
Check out our latest analysis for Transcontinental
Transcontinental's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. The last dividend was quite easily covered by Transcontinental's earnings. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 13.2%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 56%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Transcontinental Has A Solid Track Record
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from CA$0.44 to CA$0.90. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.4% a year over that time. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. It's not great to see that Transcontinental's earnings per share has fallen at approximately 4.4% per year over the past five years. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this can turn into a longer term trend.
Our Thoughts On Transcontinental's Dividend
Overall, a consistent dividend is a good thing, and we think that Transcontinental has the ability to continue this into the future. While the payments look sustainable for now, earnings have been shrinking so the dividend could come under pressure in the future. This looks like it could be a good dividend stock going forward, but we would note that the payout ratio has been at higher levels in the past so it could happen again.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Transcontinental that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list 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.
