Yahoo Finance Be Sure To Check Out Altius Minerals Corporation (TSE:ALS) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend
Altius Minerals Corporation (TSE:ALS) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next two 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. Thus, you can purchase Altius Minerals' shares before the 29th of November in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 15th of December.
The company's upcoming dividend is CA$0.08 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of CA$0.32 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Altius Minerals has a trailing yield of 1.5% on the current share price of CA$21.72. 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.
View our latest analysis for Altius Minerals
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. Fortunately Altius Minerals's payout ratio is modest, at just 38% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Altius Minerals generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 24% of its free cash flow last year.
It's positive to see that Altius Minerals'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. That's why it's comforting to see Altius Minerals's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 45% per annum for the past five years. Altius Minerals is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow, while simultaneously growing earnings per share at a rapid clip. Companies with growing earnings and low payout ratios are often the best long-term dividend stocks, as the company can both grow its earnings and increase the percentage of earnings that it pays out, essentially multiplying the dividend.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past eight years, Altius Minerals has increased its dividend at approximately 19% a year on average. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.
Final Takeaway
Has Altius Minerals got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? We love that Altius Minerals is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Altius Minerals looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
So while Altius Minerals looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. We've identified 4 warning signs with Altius Minerals (at least 1 which shouldn't be ignored), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.
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
