Yahoo Finance Otter Tail (NASDAQ:OTTR) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming Dividend
Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ:OTTR) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in three days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase Otter Tail's shares before the 12th of August in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 9th of September.
The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.41 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.65 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Otter Tail has a trailing yield of 2.2% on the current share price of $75.74. 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 Otter Tail
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Otter Tail paid out a comfortable 25% of its profit last year. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Otter Tail generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Fortunately, it paid out only 39% of its free cash flow in the past 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?
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. It's encouraging to see Otter Tail has grown its earnings rapidly, up 31% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing very quickly, and the company is paying out a relatively low percentage of its profit and cash flow. This is a very favourable combination that can often lead to the dividend multiplying over the long term, if earnings grow and the company pays out a higher percentage of its earnings.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Otter Tail has delivered an average of 3.3% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Otter Tail is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business.
Final Takeaway
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Otter Tail? Otter Tail 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. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.
So while Otter Tail looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. For example, Otter Tail has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) we think you should know about.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
