Yahoo Finance Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPO) Looks Interesting, And It's About To Pay A Dividend
Readers hoping to buy Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPO) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. If you purchase the stock on or after the 12th of March, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 27th of March.
Exponent's next dividend payment will be US$0.19 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.76 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Exponent has a trailing yield of 1.0% on the current stock price of $76.95. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Exponent's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
See our latest analysis for Exponent
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Exponent paid out a comfortable 41% of its profit last year. 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. Fortunately, it paid out only 39% of its free cash flow in the past year.
It's positive to see that Exponent'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?
Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. Fortunately for readers, Exponent's earnings per share have been growing at 16% a year for the past five years. The company has managed to grow earnings at a rapid rate, while reinvesting most of the profits within the business. This will make it easier to fund future growth efforts and we think this is an attractive combination - plus the dividend can always be increased later.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Exponent has delivered 26% dividend growth per year on average over the past seven years. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
To Sum It Up
Is Exponent worth buying for its dividend? We love that Exponent is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research.
While it's tempting to invest in Exponent for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Exponent and you should be aware of this before buying any shares.
If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
