Is AstroNova, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALOT) A Smart Pick For Income Investors?
Dividends can be underrated but they form a large part of investment returns, playing an important role in compounding returns in the long run. Historically, AstroNova, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALOT) has paid dividends to shareholders, and these days it yields 1.6%. Let’s dig deeper into whether AstroNova should have a place in your portfolio.
See our latest analysis for AstroNova
5 checks you should do on a dividend stock
If you are a dividend investor, you should always assess these five key metrics:
Is their annual yield among the top 25% of dividend payers?
Has its dividend been stable over the past (i.e. no missed payments or significant payout cuts)?
Has dividend per share amount increased over the past?
Can it afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?
Will the company be able to keep paying dividend based on the future earnings growth?
How well does AstroNova fit our criteria?
The company currently pays out 47% of its earnings as a dividend, according to its trailing twelve-month data, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Furthermore, analysts have not forecasted a dividends per share for the future, which makes it hard to determine the yield shareholders should expect, and whether the current payout is sustainable, moving forward.
When considering the sustainability of dividends, it is also worth checking the cash flow of a company. Companies with strong cash flow can sustain a higher payout ratio, while companies with weaker cash flow generally cannot.
If there’s one type of stock you want to be reliable, it’s dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. In the case of ALOT it has increased its DPS from $0.24 to $0.28 in the past 10 years. During this period it has not missed a payment, as one would expect for a company increasing its dividend. This is an impressive feat, which makes ALOT a true dividend rockstar.
Relative to peers, AstroNova has a yield of 1.6%, which is on the low-side for Tech stocks.
Next Steps:
Taking into account the dividend metrics, AstroNova ticks most of the boxes as a strong dividend investment, putting it in my list of top dividend payers. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the company’s fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. Below, I’ve compiled three pertinent aspects you should look at:
Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for ALOT’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for ALOT’s outlook.
Historical Performance: What has ALOT’s returns been like over the past? Go into more detail in the past track record analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of our analysis for more clarity.
Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
