KB Home (NYSE:KBH) will pay a dividend of $0.25 on the 22nd of May. Based on this payment, the dividend yield will be 1.8%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

Our free stock report includes 2 warning signs investors should be aware of before investing in KB Home. Read for free now.

KB Home's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. Based on the last payment, KB Home was earning enough to cover the dividend, but free cash flows weren't positive. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 9.2%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 13% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

View our latest analysis for KB Home

KB Home Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.10 in 2015, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $1.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 26% per annum over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. We are encouraged to see that KB Home has grown earnings per share at 21% per year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.

Our Thoughts On KB Home's Dividend

In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about KB Home'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 don't think KB Home is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for KB Home (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about. 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.