ARC Document Solutions (NYSE:ARC) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year
The board of ARC Document Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:ARC) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 28th of February to US$0.05. This takes the dividend yield to 3.5%, which shareholders will be pleased with.
Check out our latest analysis for ARC Document Solutions
ARC Document Solutions' Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. However, prior to this announcement, ARC Document Solutions' dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 66.5% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 37%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
ARC Document Solutions' Dividend Has Lacked Consistency
Even in its short history, we have seen the dividend cut. Since 2019, the dividend has gone from US$0.04 to US$0.20. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 124% per annum over that time. ARC Document Solutions has grown distributions at a rapid rate despite cutting the dividend at least once in the past. Companies that cut once often cut again, so we would be cautious about buying this stock solely for the dividend income.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. It's encouraging to see ARC Document Solutions has been growing its earnings per share at 67% a year over the past five years. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggest this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future.
ARC Document Solutions Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that ARC Document Solutions is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. 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. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for ARC Document Solutions that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.
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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.
