HCI Group (NYSE:HCI) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of US$0.40
HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE:HCI) will pay a dividend of US$0.40 on the 17th of September. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.6%, which is below the average for the industry.
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 HCI Group's stock price has increased by 31% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.
See our latest analysis for HCI Group
HCI Group's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Before making this announcement, HCI Group was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Unless the company can turn things around, EPS could fall by 1.4% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could be 40%, which we are pretty comfortable with and we think is feasible on an earnings basis.
HCI Group Has A Solid Track Record
The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from US$0.40 to US$1.60. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 15% a year over that time. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.
HCI Group May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. HCI Group hasn't seen much change in its earnings per share over the last five years.
Our Thoughts On HCI Group's Dividend
In summary, we are pleased with the dividend remaining consistent, and we think there is a good chance of this continuing in the future. With shrinking earnings, the company may see some issues maintaining the dividend even though they look pretty sustainable for now. This looks like it could be a good dividend stock going forward, but we would note that the payout ratio has been at higher levels in the past so it could happen again.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. To that end, HCI Group has 5 warning signs (and 2 which make us uncomfortable) we think you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of strong dividend payers.
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. 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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