Yahoo Finance ONE Gas' (NYSE:OGS) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's
ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE:OGS) will increase its dividend on the 11th of March to US$0.62. This takes the annual payment to 3.1% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.
See our latest analysis for ONE Gas
ONE Gas' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, ONE Gas' earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 5.8% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 65% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
ONE Gas Is Still Building Its Track Record
It is great to see that ONE Gas has been paying a stable dividend for a number of years now, however we want to be a bit cautious about whether this will remain true through a full economic cycle. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from US$1.12 to US$2.48. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 10% over that duration. ONE Gas has been growing its dividend quite rapidly, which is exciting. However, the short payment history makes us question whether this performance will persist across a full market cycle.
ONE Gas 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 ONE Gas has been growing its earnings per share at 7.9% a year over the past five years. The lack of cash flows does make us a bit cautious though, especially when it comes to the future of the dividend.
In Summary
Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. While ONE Gas is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good 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. To that end, ONE Gas has 3 warning signs (and 2 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.
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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.
