Yahoo Finance Just Four Days Till Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:VAC) Will Be Trading Ex-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 Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:VAC) is about to go ex-dividend in just four 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 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 Marriott Vacations Worldwide's shares before the 25th of May in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 9th of June.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.62 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$2.48 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Marriott Vacations Worldwide has a trailing yield of 1.8% on the current stock price of $139.33. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Marriott Vacations Worldwide has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Check out our latest analysis for Marriott Vacations Worldwide
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Marriott Vacations Worldwide is paying out an acceptable 54% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. 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. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 15% of its cash flow last year.
It's positive to see that Marriott Vacations Worldwide'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?
Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Marriott Vacations Worldwide's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 5.7% a year over the previous five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Marriott Vacations Worldwide has delivered an average of 12% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past eight years of dividend payments. Growing the dividend payout ratio while earnings are declining can deliver nice returns for a while, but it's always worth checking for when the company can't increase the payout ratio any more - because then the music stops.
To Sum It Up
Has Marriott Vacations Worldwide got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? The payout ratios are within a reasonable range, implying the dividend may be sustainable. Declining earnings are a serious concern, however, and could pose a threat to the dividend in future. It might be worth researching if the company is reinvesting in growth projects that could grow earnings and dividends in the future, but for now we're not all that optimistic on its dividend prospects.
With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Marriott Vacations Worldwide, you should know about the other risks facing this business. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Marriott Vacations Worldwide (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) you should know about.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.
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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.
