Saratoga Investment's (NYSE:SAR) Dividend Will Be Increased To $0.70

Saratoga Investment Corp. (NYSE:SAR) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 29th of June to $0.70. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 10.0%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Saratoga Investment

Saratoga Investment's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Before this announcement, Saratoga Investment was paying out 118% of what it was earning, and not generating any free cash flows either. Paying out such a large dividend compared to earnings while also not generating free cash flows is a major warning sign for the sustainability of the dividend as these levels are certainly a bit high.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 121.0%. Assuming the dividend continues along the course it has been charting recently, our estimates show the payout ratio being 54% which brings it into quite a comfortable range.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $4.25, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $2.80. Doing the maths, this is a decline of about 4.1% per year. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

Dividend Growth Is Doubtful

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. It's not great to see that Saratoga Investment's earnings per share has fallen at approximately 6.7% per year over the past five years. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.

We're Not Big Fans Of Saratoga Investment's Dividend

In conclusion, we have some concerns about this dividend, even though it being raised is good. The company's earnings aren't high enough to be making such big distributions, and it isn't backed up by strong growth or consistency either. The dividend doesn't inspire confidence that it will provide solid income in the future.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Saratoga Investment (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing. Is Saratoga Investment 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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