Yahoo Finance loanDepot, Inc. (NYSE:LDI) Goes Ex-Dividend Soon
It looks like loanDepot, Inc. (NYSE:LDI) is about to go ex-dividend in the next three days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase loanDepot's shares before the 1st of October in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of October.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.08 per share. 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! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
Check out our latest analysis for loanDepot
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. loanDepot has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 0.5% of its income after tax. loanDepot paid a dividend despite reporting negative free cash flow over the last twelve months. This may be due to heavy investment in the business, but this is still suboptimal from a dividend sustainability perspective.
Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. loanDepot's earnings per share plummeted 30% over the past year,which is rarely good news for the dividend.
This is loanDepot's first year of paying a dividend, so it doesn't have much of a history yet to compare to.
Final Takeaway
Is loanDepot an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? loanDepot's earnings per share are down sharply over the last year, although we note that it is paying out a low fraction of its earnings. From a dividend perspective we struggle to see value in a company with declining earnings per share, but it's also true that a one-year decline often doesn't mean much. So we wouldn't be too quick to write this one off. In sum this is a middling combination, and we find it hard to get excited about the company from a dividend perspective.
So if you want to do more digging on loanDepot, you'll find it worthwhile knowing the risks that this stock faces. Our analysis shows 4 warning signs for loanDepot that we strongly recommend you have a look at before investing in the company.
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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