Yahoo Finance Read This Before Considering Volution Group plc (LON:FAN) For Its Upcoming UK£0.044 Dividend
Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Volution Group plc (LON:FAN) is about to go ex-dividend in just 3 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. 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. This means that investors who purchase Volution Group's shares on or after the 18th of November will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 16th of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be UK£0.044 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed UK£0.063 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Volution Group stock has a trailing yield of around 1.2% on the current share price of £5.2. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether Volution Group can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
See our latest analysis for Volution Group
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Volution Group paid out more than half (60%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 7.9% of its free cash flow in the last year.
It's positive to see that Volution Group'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. 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 Volution Group, with earnings per share up 6.1% on average over the last five years. Decent historical earnings per share growth suggests Volution Group has been effectively growing value for shareholders. However, it's now paying out more than half its earnings as dividends. Therefore it's unlikely that the company will be able to reinvest heavily in its business, which could presage slower growth in the future.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Volution Group has delivered 17% dividend growth per year on average over the past seven years. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.
The Bottom Line
Has Volution Group got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Earnings per share growth has been modest and Volution Group paid out over half of its profits and less than half of its free cash flow, although both payout ratios are within normal limits. Overall, it's hard to get excited about Volution Group from a dividend perspective.
With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Volution Group you should be aware of.
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. 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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