Yahoo Finance Here's What We Like About Sandfire Resources' (ASX:SFR) Upcoming Dividend
Readers hoping to buy Sandfire Resources Limited (ASX:SFR) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Accordingly, Sandfire Resources investors that purchase the stock on or after the 6th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 22nd of September.
The company's next dividend payment will be AU$0.26 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed AU$0.34 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Sandfire Resources has a trailing yield of 5.0% on the current stock price of A$6.83. 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.
View our latest analysis for Sandfire Resources
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 Sandfire Resources's payout ratio is modest, at just 35% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Sandfire Resources generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 11% of its free cash flow last year.
It's positive to see that Sandfire Resources'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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. It's encouraging to see Sandfire Resources has grown its earnings rapidly, up 26% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing very quickly, and the company is paying out a relatively low percentage of its profit and cash flow. This is a very favourable combination that can often lead to the dividend multiplying over the long term, if earnings grow and the company pays out a higher percentage of its earnings.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Since the start of our data, seven years ago, Sandfire Resources has lifted its dividend by approximately 19% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
The Bottom Line
Should investors buy Sandfire Resources for the upcoming dividend? Sandfire Resources has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past seven years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. There's a lot to like about Sandfire Resources, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
While it's tempting to invest in Sandfire Resources for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Sandfire Resources (1 can't be ignored!) that you ought to be aware of before buying the shares.
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.
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.
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