Yahoo Finance TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE:TEL) Passed Our Checks, And It's About To Pay A US$0.56 Dividend
TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE:TEL) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. In other words, investors can purchase TE Connectivity's shares before the 19th of May in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 3rd of June.
The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.56 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$2.24 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, TE Connectivity stock has a trailing yield of around 1.8% on the current share price of $125.22. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
See our latest analysis for TE Connectivity
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately TE Connectivity's payout ratio is modest, at just 26% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether TE Connectivity generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 40% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.
It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.
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. 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 TE Connectivity, with earnings per share up 9.0% on average over the last five years. The company is retaining more than half of its earnings within the business, and it has been growing earnings at a decent rate. Organisations that reinvest heavily in themselves typically get stronger over time, which can bring attractive benefits such as stronger earnings and dividends.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the last 10 years, TE Connectivity has lifted its dividend by approximately 12% 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.
The Bottom Line
Is TE Connectivity worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share have been growing moderately, and TE Connectivity is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends, which is an attractive combination as it suggests the company is investing in growth. It might be nice to see earnings growing faster, but TE Connectivity is being conservative with its dividend payouts and could still perform reasonably over the long run. TE Connectivity looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
While it's tempting to invest in TE Connectivity for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. For example, we've found 1 warning sign for TE Connectivity that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.
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.
