Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH) Is Increasing Its Dividend To $0.61
Texas Roadhouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:TXRH) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 26th of March to $0.61. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 1.6%, which is below the industry average.
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 Texas Roadhouse's stock price has increased by 32% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.
View our latest analysis for Texas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse's 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. The last dividend was quite easily covered by Texas Roadhouse's earnings. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 52.0% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 37% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Dividend Volatility
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from $0.48 total annually to $2.44. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 18% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. Texas Roadhouse has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 16% per annum. Since earnings per share is growing at an acceptable rate, and the payout policy is balanced, we think the company is positioning itself well to grow earnings and dividends in the future.
We Really Like Texas Roadhouse's 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. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Texas Roadhouse that investors should take into consideration. 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.
