Yahoo Finance Codan (ASX:CDA) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming 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 Codan Limited (ASX:CDA) is about to go ex-dividend in just 2 days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. 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. Therefore, if you purchase Codan's shares on or after the 26th of February, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 12th of March.
The company's next dividend payment will be AU$0.105 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed AU$0.18 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Codan has a trailing yield of 1.8% on the current share price of AU$10.27. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
See our latest analysis for Codan
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 Codan's payout ratio is modest, at just 48% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Codan generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Dividends consumed 62% of the company's free cash flow last year, which is within a normal range for most dividend-paying organisations.
It's positive to see that Codan'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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Fortunately for readers, Codan's earnings per share have been growing at 12% a year for the past five years. Codan is paying out a bit over half its earnings, which suggests the company is striking a balance between reinvesting in growth, and paying dividends. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past 10 years, Codan has increased its dividend at approximately 2.8% a year on average. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Codan is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business.
To Sum It Up
Should investors buy Codan for the upcoming dividend? From a dividend perspective, we're encouraged to see that earnings per share have been growing, the company is paying out less than half of its earnings, and a bit over half its free cash flow. There's a lot to like about Codan, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
Ever wonder what the future holds for Codan? See what the four analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow
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.
