Yahoo Finance MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) Looks Like A Good Stock, And It's Going Ex-Dividend Soon
Readers hoping to buy MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. You will need to purchase shares before the 10th of November to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 10th of December.
MSA Safety's next dividend payment will be US$0.43 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$1.72 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, MSA Safety has a trailing yield of approximately 1.3% on its current stock price of $135.69. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
See our latest analysis for MSA Safety
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. That's why it's good to see MSA Safety paying out a modest 48% of its earnings. 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. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 47% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
It's positive to see that MSA Safety'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?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at MSA Safety, with earnings per share up 9.0% on average over the last five years. Management have been reinvested more than half of the company's earnings within the business, and the company has been able to grow earnings with this retained capital. Organisations that reinvest heavily in themselves typically get stronger over time, which can bring attractive benefits such as stronger earnings and dividends.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, MSA Safety has lifted its dividend by approximately 6.0% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.
The Bottom Line
Is MSA Safety worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share growth has been growing somewhat, and MSA Safety is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends. This is interesting for a few reasons, as it suggests management may be reinvesting heavily in the business, but it also provides room to increase the dividend in time. It might be nice to see earnings growing faster, but MSA Safety is being conservative with its dividend payouts and could still perform reasonably over the long run. There's a lot to like about MSA Safety, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
While it's tempting to invest in MSA Safety for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. For example, we've found 2 warning signs for MSA Safety that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.
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.
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. 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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