The board of Bird Construction Inc. (TSE:BDT) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 20th of August, with investors receiving CA$0.0467 per share. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 2.1%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.
While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Investors will be pleased to see that Bird Construction’s stock price has increased by 42% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.
Check out our latest analysis for Bird Construction
Bird Construction’s Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn’t matter much if the payments can’t be sustained. However, prior to this announcement, Bird Construction’s dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 32.8%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 23% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Dividend Volatility
The company’s dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was CA$0.76, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CA$0.56. The dividend has shrunk at around 3.0% a year during that period. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn’t what we are looking for.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. We are encouraged to see that Bird Construction has grown earnings per share at 31% per year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.
Bird Construction Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Bird Construction is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
It’s important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we’ve identified 1 warning sign for Bird Construction 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.
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