Be Sure To Check Out Cohen & Steers, Inc. (NYSE:CNS) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend

Cohen & Steers, Inc. (NYSE:CNS) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. You will need to purchase shares before the 14th of May to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 27th of May.

Cohen & Steers's next dividend payment will be US$0.45 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$2.80 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Cohen & Steers has a trailing yield of 4.0% on the current stock price of $70.78. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

View our latest analysis for Cohen & Steers

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Cohen & Steers paid out more than half (74%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies.

Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

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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 earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. This is why it's a relief to see Cohen & Steers earnings per share are up 9.0% per annum over the last five years.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Cohen & Steers has lifted its dividend by approximately 21% a year on average. 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.

Final Takeaway

Should investors buy Cohen & Steers for the upcoming dividend? Earnings per share have been growing at a reasonable rate, and the company is paying out a bit over half its earnings as dividends. It might be worth researching if the company is reinvesting in growth projects that could grow earnings and dividends in the future, but for now we're on the fence about its dividend prospects.

However if you're still interested in Cohen & Steers as a potential investment, you should definitely consider some of the risks involved with Cohen & Steers. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Cohen & Steers and you should be aware of this before buying any 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. 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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