Dusk Group Limited (ASX:DSK) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 27th of March to A$0.10. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 4.9%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

View our latest analysis for Dusk Group

Dusk Group's Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions

While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. Before this announcement, Dusk Group was paying out 70% of earnings, but a comparatively small 13% of free cash flows. In general, cash flows are more important than earnings, so we are comfortable that the dividend will be sustainable going forward, especially with so much cash left over for reinvestment.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 96.6% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 56% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dusk Group's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

Even in its short history, we have seen the dividend cut. The annual payment during the last 4 years was A$0.30 in 2021, and the most recent fiscal year payment was A$0.065. Dividend payments have fallen sharply, down 78% over that time. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

With a relatively unstable dividend, and a poor history of shrinking dividends, it's even more important to see if EPS is growing. Dusk Group's EPS has fallen by approximately 11% per year during the past five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Dusk Group's payments are rock solid. The company is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. We don't think Dusk Group is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Dusk Group 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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