CI Financial (TSE:CIX) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of CA$0.18
CI Financial Corp.'s (TSE:CIX) investors are due to receive a payment of CA$0.18 per share on 15th of October. The dividend yield will be 2.7% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.
See our latest analysis for CI Financial
CI Financial's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Before making this announcement, CI Financial was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 29.7% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 22% 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 1 cut in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from CA$0.84 in 2011 to the most recent annual payment of CA$0.72. This works out to be a decline of approximately 1.5% per year over that time. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.
CI Financial May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Earnings has been rising at 4.2% per annum over the last five years, which admittedly is a bit slow. If CI Financial is struggling to find viable investments, it always has the option to increase its payout ratio to pay more to shareholders.
Our Thoughts On CI Financial's Dividend
Overall, a consistent dividend is a good thing, and we think that CI Financial has the ability to continue this into the future. The payout ratio looks good, but unfortunately the company's dividend track record isn't stellar. Taking all of this into consideration, the dividend looks viable moving forward, but investors should be mindful that the company has pushed the boundaries of sustainability in the past and may do so again.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for CI Financial (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.
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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