Yahoo Finance Here's Why We're Wary Of Buying PCTEL's (NASDAQ:PCTI) For Its Upcoming Dividend
Readers hoping to buy PCTEL, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCTI) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. Investors can purchase shares before the 6th of August in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 17th of August.
PCTEL's next dividend payment will be US$0.055 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.22 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that PCTEL has a trailing yield of 3.4% on the current share price of $6.55. 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 PCTEL
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. PCTEL distributed an unsustainably high 117% of its profit as dividends to shareholders last year. Without extenuating circumstances, we'd consider the dividend at risk of a cut. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 40% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and PCTEL fortunately did generate enough cash to fund its dividend. Still, if the company repeatedly paid a dividend greater than its profits, we'd be concerned. Very few companies are able to sustainably pay dividends larger than their reported earnings.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. PCTEL's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 5.9% a year over the previous five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. PCTEL has delivered an average of 7.0% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past nine years of dividend payments. The only way to pay higher dividends when earnings are shrinking is either to pay out a larger percentage of profits, spend cash from the balance sheet, or borrow the money. PCTEL is already paying out a high percentage of its income, so without earnings growth, we're doubtful of whether this dividend will grow much in the future.
The Bottom Line
Is PCTEL an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's not a great combination to see a company with earnings in decline and paying out 117% of its profits, which could imply the dividend may be at risk of being cut in the future. However, the cash payout ratio was much lower - good news from a dividend perspective - which makes us wonder why there is such a mis-match between income and cashflow. With the way things are shaping up from a dividend perspective, we'd be inclined to steer clear of PCTEL.
So if you're still interested in PCTEL despite it's poor dividend qualities, you should be well informed on some of the risks facing this stock. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for PCTEL and you should be aware of them before buying any shares.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
