Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 31st of October to $0.375. This makes the dividend yield 1.3%, which is above 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 Argan's stock price has increased by 50% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.

Check out our latest analysis for Argan

Argan's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Before making this announcement, Argan was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 22.3% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 34%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Argan Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.75 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of $1.50. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 7.2% over that duration. 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. It's encouraging to see that Argan has been growing its earnings per share at 100% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

Argan Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Argan that you should be aware of before investing. Is Argan not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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