Sienna Senior Living (TSE:SIA) Will Pay A Dividend Of CA$0.078

The board of Sienna Senior Living Inc. (TSE:SIA) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 15th of November, with investors receiving CA$0.078 per share. This makes the dividend yield 6.0%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

See our latest analysis for Sienna Senior Living

Sienna Senior Living's Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. The company is paying out a large amount of its cash flows, even though it isn't generating any profit. This is quite a strong warning sign that the dividend may not be sustainable.

Looking forward, earnings per share could 44.4% 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.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Sienna Senior Living Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2011, the first annual payment was CA$0.85, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CA$0.94. Dividend payments have been growing, but very slowly over the period. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. Over the past five years, it looks as though Sienna Senior Living's EPS has declined at around 44% a year. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future.

Sienna Senior Living's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. 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. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. As an example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Sienna Senior Living that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of strong dividend payers.

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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