Yahoo Finance Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE:HI) Looks Like A Good Stock, And It's Going Ex-Dividend Soon
Readers hoping to buy Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE:HI) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. Investors can purchase shares before the 13th of September in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of September.
Hillenbrand's next dividend payment will be US$0.21 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.84 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Hillenbrand has a trailing yield of approximately 3.0% on its current stock price of $27.96. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! As a result, readers should always check whether Hillenbrand has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for Hillenbrand
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. Hillenbrand paid out a comfortable 37% of its profit last year. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Hillenbrand generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 29% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
It's positive to see that Hillenbrand'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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Fortunately for readers, Hillenbrand's earnings per share have been growing at 17% 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.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Hillenbrand has lifted its dividend by approximately 1.3% a year on average. It's good to see both earnings and the dividend have improved - although the former has been rising much quicker than the latter, possibly due to the company reinvesting more of its profits in growth.
The Bottom Line
Has Hillenbrand got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Hillenbrand has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. Hillenbrand looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
Wondering what the future holds for Hillenbrand? See what the four analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow
A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
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.
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. Thank you for reading.
