Northern Technologies International (NASDAQ:NTIC) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of $0.07
Northern Technologies International Corporation (NASDAQ:NTIC) will pay a dividend of $0.07 on the 16th of November. This payment means that the dividend yield will be 2.1%, which is around the industry average.
See our latest analysis for Northern Technologies International
Northern Technologies International's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Prior to this announcement, Northern Technologies International's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 18.9%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 32%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Northern Technologies International's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency
Looking back, Northern Technologies International's dividend hasn't been particularly consistent. Due to this, we are a little bit cautious about the dividend consistency over a full economic cycle. The annual payment during the last 5 years was $0.20 in 2017, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $0.28. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 7.0% over that duration. A reasonable rate of dividend growth is good to see, but we're wary that the dividend history is not as solid as we'd like, having been cut at least once.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Northern Technologies International has impressed us by growing EPS at 65% per year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.
In Summary
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Northern Technologies International's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.
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. For instance, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Northern Technologies International that investors should take into consideration. Is Northern Technologies International not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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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