The board of EBOS Group Limited (NZSE:EBO) has announced that it will pay a dividend of A$0.5951 per share on the 21st of March. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 3.2%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

View our latest analysis for EBOS Group

EBOS Group'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. Prior to this announcement, EBOS Group's dividend made up quite a large proportion of earnings but only 70% of free cash flows. This leaves plenty of cash for reinvestment into the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 34.2%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, our estimates say the payout ratio could reach 80% - on the higher side, but we wouldn't necessarily say this is unsustainable.

EBOS Group Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from an annual total of A$0.363 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of A$1.14. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12% a year over that time. So, dividends have been growing pretty quickly, and even more impressively, they haven't experienced any notable falls during this period.

EBOS Group Could Grow Its Dividend

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. It's encouraging to see that EBOS Group has been growing its earnings per share at 5.5% a year over the past five years. Past earnings growth has been decent, but unless this is one of those rare businesses that can grow without additional capital investment or marketing spend, we'd generally expect the higher payout ratio to limit its future growth prospects.

Our Thoughts On EBOS Group's Dividend

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. The company has been bring in plenty of cash to cover the dividend, but we don't necessarily think that makes it a great dividend stock. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

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 instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for EBOS Group that investors should take into consideration. Is EBOS Group not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.