Eastern (NASDAQ:EML) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of $0.11
The Eastern Company's (NASDAQ:EML) investors are due to receive a payment of $0.11 per share on 15th of September. The dividend yield will be 2.4% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.
Check out our latest analysis for Eastern
Eastern's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, Eastern was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 6.3% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 29%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Eastern Has A Solid Track Record
The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.40 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of $0.44. Dividend payments have been growing, but very slowly over the period. Slow and steady dividend growth might not sound that exciting, but dividends have been stable for ten years, which we think makes this a fairly attractive offer.
The Dividend Has Growth Potential
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Eastern has impressed us by growing EPS at 6.3% per year over the past five years. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Eastern's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.
We Really Like Eastern's Dividend
In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. 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 of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.
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. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Eastern that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.
