Yahoo Finance Be Sure To Check Out Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPD) Before It Goes Ex-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 Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPD) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 29th of May will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of June.
Expeditors International of Washington's upcoming dividend is US$0.52 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.04 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Expeditors International of Washington has a trailing yield of 1.4% on the current share price of $72.06. 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! As a result, readers should always check whether Expeditors International of Washington has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
View our latest analysis for Expeditors International of Washington
Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Fortunately Expeditors International of Washington's payout ratio is modest, at just 30% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Expeditors International of Washington generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 28% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.
It's positive to see that Expeditors International of Washington'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?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. For this reason, we're glad to see Expeditors International of Washington's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years. Earnings per share have been growing rapidly and the company is retaining a majority of its earnings within the business. Fast-growing businesses that are reinvesting heavily are enticing from a dividend perspective, especially since they can often increase the payout ratio later.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past ten years, Expeditors International of Washington has increased its dividend at approximately 11% 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
Is Expeditors International of Washington worth buying for its dividend? We love that Expeditors International of Washington 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. There's a lot to like about Expeditors International of Washington, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
Ever wonder what the future holds for Expeditors International of Washington? See what the 11 analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow
We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
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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. Thank you for reading.
