A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMRK) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.20 per share on the 1st of August. This makes the dividend yield 3.5%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

A-Mark Precious Metals' Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, A-Mark Precious Metals was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 28.9%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 51% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from $0.10 total annually to $0.80. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 23% a year over that time. Despite the rapid growth in the dividend over the past number of years, we have seen the payments go down the past as well, so that makes us cautious.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

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 encouraging to see that A-Mark Precious Metals has been growing its earnings per share at 13% a year over the past five years. The company is paying a reasonable amount of earnings to shareholders, and is growing earnings at a decent rate so we think it could be a decent dividend stock.

A-Mark Precious Metals Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think A-Mark Precious Metals might even raise payments in the future. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Is A-Mark Precious Metals not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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.