Yahoo Finance Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE:NNI) Pays A 0.3% In Just 4
Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE:NNI) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. Investors can purchase shares before the 29th of August in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 13th of September.
Nelnet's upcoming dividend is US$0.18 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.72 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Nelnet has a trailing yield of 1.1% on the current stock price of $65.91. 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 Nelnet has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
View our latest analysis for Nelnet
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Nelnet is paying out just 22% of its profit after tax, which is comfortably low and leaves plenty of breathing room in the case of adverse events.
Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend.
Click here to see how much of its profit Nelnet paid out over the last 12 months.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Nelnet's earnings per share have dropped 13% a year over the past 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. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Nelnet has lifted its dividend by approximately 9.9% a year on average.
To Sum It Up
Is Nelnet an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Nelnet's earnings per share are down over the past 5 years, although it has the cushion of a low payout ratio, which would suggest a cut to the dividend is relatively unlikely. At best we would put it on a watch-list to see if business conditions improve, as it doesn't look like a clear opportunity right now.
Want to learn more about Nelnet's dividend performance? Check out this visualisation of its historical revenue and earnings growth.
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.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
