Yahoo Finance Don't Race Out To Buy Spark New Zealand Limited (NZSE:SPK) Just Because It's Going Ex-Dividend
It looks like Spark New Zealand Limited (NZSE:SPK) is about to go ex-dividend in the next four days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Thus, you can purchase Spark New Zealand's shares before the 24th of March in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 8th of April.
The company's next dividend payment will be NZ$0.15 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of NZ$0.25 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Spark New Zealand has a trailing yield of approximately 5.3% on its current stock price of NZ$4.73. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Spark New Zealand
Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Spark New Zealand paid out 112% of profit in the past year, which we think is typically not sustainable unless there are mitigating characteristics such as unusually strong cash flow or a large cash balance. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. It paid out more than half (70%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies.
It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and Spark New Zealand fortunately did generate enough cash to fund its dividend. Still, if the company repeatedly paid a dividend greater than its profits, we'd be concerned. Extraordinarily few companies are capable of persistently paying a dividend that is greater than their profits.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies that aren't growing their earnings can still be valuable, but it is even more important to assess the sustainability of the dividend if it looks like the company will struggle to grow. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That explains why we're not overly excited about Spark New Zealand's flat earnings over the past five years. Better than seeing them fall off a cliff, for sure, but the best dividend stocks grow their earnings meaningfully over the long run.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Spark New Zealand has lifted its dividend by approximately 6.0% a year on average.
The Bottom Line
Is Spark New Zealand worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share have barely moved in recent times, and the company is paying out an uncomfortably high percentage of its income. Fortunately its cash generation was somewhat stronger. It's not that we think Spark New Zealand is a bad company, but these characteristics don't generally lead to outstanding dividend performance.
With that being said, if you're still considering Spark New Zealand as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with Spark New Zealand and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
