Sabre Insurance Group (LON:SBRE) Is Paying Out Less In Dividends Than Last Year
Sabre Insurance Group plc (LON:SBRE) has announced it will be reducing its dividend payable on the 16th of September to UK£0.037. This means the annual payment is 6.7% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Sabre Insurance Group
Sabre Insurance Group'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, Sabre Insurance Group's was paying out quite a large proportion of earnings and 88% of free cash flows. This indicates that the company is more focused on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business, but it is still in a reasonable range to continue with.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 4.4%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 45% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Sabre Insurance Group Doesn't Have A Long Payment History
Looking back, the dividend has been stable, but the company hasn't been paying a dividend for very long so we can't be confident that the dividend will remain stable through all economic environments. Since 2018, the first annual payment was UK£0.14, compared to the most recent full-year payment of UK£0.15. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 2.3% over that duration. It's good to see at least some dividend growth. Yet with a relatively short dividend paying history, we wouldn't want to depend on this dividend too heavily.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. Sabre Insurance Group's earnings per share has shrunk at 24% a year over the past five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. Over the next year, however, earnings are actually predicted to rise, but we would still be cautious until a track record of earnings growth can be built.
In Summary
Overall, the dividend looks like it may have been a bit high, which explains why it has now been cut. While Sabre Insurance Group is earning enough to cover the dividend, we are generally unimpressed with its future prospects. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic 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 1 warning sign for Sabre Insurance Group that investors should take into consideration. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.
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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