Yahoo Finance Income Investors Should Know That Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP) Goes Ex-Dividend Soon
Readers hoping to buy Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP) 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Therefore, if you purchase Whitecap Resources' shares on or after the 30th of August, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 15th of September.
The company's next dividend payment will be CA$0.016 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CA$0.18 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Whitecap Resources has a trailing yield of approximately 3.4% on its current stock price of CA$5.27. 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 investigate whether Whitecap Resources can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
Check out our latest analysis for Whitecap Resources
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. Whitecap Resources has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 22% of its income after tax. 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 19% of its free cash flow last year.
It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Whitecap Resources's earnings per share have plummeted approximately 43% a year over the previous five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Whitecap Resources's dividend payments per share have declined at 13% per year on average over the past nine years, which is uninspiring. It's never nice to see earnings and dividends falling, but at least management has cut the dividend rather than potentially risk the company's health in an attempt to maintain it.
The Bottom Line
Is Whitecap Resources an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Earnings per share are down meaningfully, although at least the company is paying out a low and conservative percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's definitely not great to see earnings falling, but at least there may be some buffer before the dividend needs to be cut. To summarise, Whitecap Resources looks okay on this analysis, although it doesn't appear a stand-out opportunity.
On that note, you'll want to research what risks Whitecap Resources is facing. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Whitecap Resources (1 is a bit concerning) you should be aware of.
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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