Yahoo Finance Should You Buy Autosports Group Limited (ASX:ASG) For Its Upcoming Dividend?
Readers hoping to buy Autosports Group Limited (ASX:ASG) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. In other words, investors can purchase Autosports Group's shares before the 29th of October in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of November.
The company's next dividend payment will be AU$0.07 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of AU$0.09 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Autosports Group has a trailing yield of approximately 3.8% on its current stock price of A$2.37. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Autosports Group's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
See our latest analysis for Autosports Group
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Autosports Group's payout ratio is modest, at just 43% of profit. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. Luckily it paid out just 4.4% of its free cash flow last year.
It's positive to see that Autosports Group's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's comforting to see Autosports Group's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 22% per annum for the past five years. Autosports Group is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow, while simultaneously growing earnings per share at a rapid clip. Companies with growing earnings and low payout ratios are often the best long-term dividend stocks, as the company can both grow its earnings and increase the percentage of earnings that it pays out, essentially multiplying the dividend.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last four years, Autosports Group has lifted its dividend by approximately 18% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
To Sum It Up
Has Autosports Group got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? It's great that Autosports Group is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's disappointing to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, but as things stand now, the low payout ratio suggests a conservative approach to dividends, which we like. Autosports Group looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
In light of that, while Autosports Group has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. For example, Autosports Group has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.
We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
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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