Yahoo Finance Limoneira (NASDAQ:LMNR) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of US$0.075
The board of Limoneira Company (NASDAQ:LMNR) has announced that it will pay a dividend of US$0.075 per share on the 15th of July. This payment means that the dividend yield will be 2.2%, which is around the industry average.
Check out our latest analysis for Limoneira
Limoneira's Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain
We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Even in the absence of profits, Limoneira is paying a dividend. It is also not generating any free cash flow, we definitely have concerns when it comes to the sustainability of the dividend.
Looking forward, earnings per share could 57.0% over the next year if the trend of the last few years can't be broken. This means the company won't be turning a profit, which could place managers in the tough spot of having to choose between suspending the dividend or putting more pressure on the balance sheet.
Limoneira Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from US$0.13 to US$0.30. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 9.1% over that duration. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. Over the past five years, it looks as though Limoneira's EPS has declined at around 57% a year. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough.
The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Limoneira's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. In the past the payments have been stable, but we think the company is paying out too much for this to continue for the long term. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Limoneira (2 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing. 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.
