VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of $0.0625

VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY) will pay a dividend of $0.0625 on the 27th of June. The dividend yield will be 7.3% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

VAALCO Energy'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. Based on the last payment, VAALCO Energy's earnings were much higher than the dividend, but it wasn't converting those earnings into cash flow. Since a dividend means the company is paying out cash to investors, this could prove to be a problem in the future.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 22.8%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 37% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

See our latest analysis for VAALCO Energy

VAALCO Energy Doesn't Have A Long Payment History

Looking back, the dividend has been stable, but the company hasn't been paying a dividend for very long so we can't be confident that the dividend will remain stable through all economic environments. The annual payment during the last 3 years was $0.13 in 2022, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $0.25. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 24% over that duration. It is always nice to see strong dividend growth, but with such a short payment history we wouldn't be inclined to rely on it until a longer track record can be developed.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. It's encouraging to see that VAALCO Energy has been growing its earnings per share at 33% a year over the past five years. VAALCO Energy is clearly able to grow rapidly while still returning cash to shareholders, positioning it to become a strong dividend payer in the future.

Our Thoughts On VAALCO Energy's Dividend

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. 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. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for VAALCO Energy that investors should take into consideration. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.