Yahoo Finance There's A Lot To Like About Chubb's (NYSE:CB) Upcoming US$0.80 Dividend
Chubb Limited (NYSE:CB) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Thus, you can purchase Chubb's shares before the 17th of June in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 9th of July.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.80 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$3.12 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Chubb has a trailing yield of approximately 1.9% on its current stock price of $167.09. 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 Chubb has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for Chubb
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. Chubb paid out a comfortable 25% of its profit last year.
Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.
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. This is why it's a relief to see Chubb earnings per share are up 7.3% per annum over the last five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Chubb has delivered 9.3% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.
To Sum It Up
Has Chubb got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? It has been growing its earnings per share somewhat in recent years, although it reinvests more than half its earnings in the business, which could suggest there are some growth projects that have not yet reached fruition. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating Chubb more closely.
While it's tempting to invest in Chubb for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Chubb that we strongly recommend you have a look at before investing in the company.
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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