The board of Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE:ODC) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.155 per share on the 7th of March. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.5%, which is below the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Oil-Dri Corporation of America

Oil-Dri Corporation of America's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. However, Oil-Dri Corporation of America's earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Over the next year, EPS could expand by 23.5% if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 31%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America 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 2015, the annual payment back then was $0.38, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.62. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 5.0% per annum over that time. Companies like this can be very valuable over the long term, if the decent rate of growth can be maintained.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Oil-Dri Corporation of America has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 23% per annum. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggest this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future.

We Really Like Oil-Dri Corporation of America's Dividend

In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. 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 of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Oil-Dri Corporation of America that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is Oil-Dri Corporation of America not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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