The board of NCC Group plc (LON:NCC) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 17th of March, with investors receiving £0.015 per share. This means that the annual payment will be 2.5% of the current stock price, which is in line with the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for NCC Group

NCC Group's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. Before making this announcement, NCC Group was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 21.7% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 47% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward. historic-dividend

NCC Group Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. The annual payment during the last 10 years was £0.0268 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was £0.0465. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 5.7% per annum 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 Looks Likely To Grow

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. NCC Group has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 36% per annum. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

We Really Like NCC Group's Dividend

Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think NCC Group might even raise payments in the future. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.



Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 8 NCC Group analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our freereport on analyst estimates for the company. Is NCC 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.

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