The board of Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 7th of March, with investors receiving $0.455 per share. This makes the dividend yield 3.5%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

See our latest analysis for Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, the company's dividend was much higher than its earnings. This situation certainly isn't ideal, and could place significant strain on the balance sheet if it continues.

Analysts expect a massive rise in earnings per share in the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate that the payout ratio could reach 75%, which is in a comfortable range for us.

Microchip Technology Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from $0.711 total annually to $1.82. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.9% a year 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 Has Limited Growth Potential

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. However, things aren't all that rosy. Over the past five years, it looks as though Microchip Technology's EPS has declined at around 16% a year. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.

Microchip Technology's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. We can't deny that the payments have been very stable, but we are a little bit worried about the very high payout ratio. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Microchip Technology (of which 2 are potentially serious!) 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.