The board of Costamare Inc. (NYSE:CMRE) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 6th of May, with investors receiving $0.115 per share. This payment means the dividend yield will be 5.1%, which is below the average for the industry.

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. Costamare's stock price has reduced by 31% in the last 3 months, which is not ideal for investors and can explain a sharp increase in the dividend yield.

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Costamare's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. However, Costamare's earnings easily cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 37.5%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 12% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

See our latest analysis for Costamare

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was $1.12, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.46. This works out to be a decline of approximately 8.5% per year over that time. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. It's encouraging to see that Costamare has been growing its earnings per share at 33% a year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.

We Really Like Costamare's Dividend

Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think Costamare might even raise payments in the future. 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.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For instance, we've picked out 3 warning signs for Costamare that investors should take into consideration. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.