J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Will Pay A Larger Dividend Than Last Year At $0.42
The board of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of $0.42 on the 26th of May, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 1.0%, which is below the industry average.
View our latest analysis for J.B. Hunt Transport Services
J.B. Hunt Transport Services' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage
While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. However, prior to this announcement, J.B. Hunt Transport Services' dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 24.8% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 16% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $0.56, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $1.68. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 12% per annum over that time. So, dividends have been growing pretty quickly, and even more impressively, they haven't experienced any notable falls during this period.
We Could See J.B. Hunt Transport Services' Dividend Growing
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 6.9% per annum. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.
We Really Like J.B. Hunt Transport Services' Dividend
In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. 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 in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for J.B. Hunt Transport Services 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 yield dividend stocks.
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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.
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