Yahoo Finance Is It Smart To Buy Mullen Group Ltd. (TSE:MTL) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend?
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Mullen Group Ltd. (TSE:MTL) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 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. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. In other words, investors can purchase Mullen Group's shares before the 28th of October in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of November.
The company's next dividend payment will be CA$0.04 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CA$0.48 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Mullen Group stock has a trailing yield of around 3.3% on the current share price of CA$14.34. 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 Mullen Group can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
View our latest analysis for Mullen Group
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Mullen Group paid out more than half (57%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. 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. It distributed 28% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.
It's positive to see that Mullen 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?
Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. That's why it's comforting to see Mullen Group's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 38% per annum for the past five years. Management appears to be striking a nice balance between reinvesting for growth and paying dividends to shareholders. With a reasonable payout ratio, profits being reinvested, and some earnings growth, Mullen Group could have strong prospects for future increases to the dividend.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Mullen Group's dividend payments are broadly unchanged compared to where they were 10 years ago.
To Sum It Up
Is Mullen Group an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We like Mullen Group's growing earnings per share and the fact that - while its payout ratio is around average - it paid out a lower percentage of its cash flow. Mullen Group looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
In light of that, while Mullen Group has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Mullen Group that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.
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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