Yahoo Finance NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU) Looks Like A Good Stock, And It's Going Ex-Dividend Soon
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Accordingly, NewMarket investors that purchase the stock on or after the 14th of June will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 1st of July.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$1.90 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$7.60 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, NewMarket has a trailing yield of approximately 2.3% on its current stock price of $335.5. 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! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
Check out our latest analysis for NewMarket
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 NewMarket's payout ratio is modest, at just 33% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether NewMarket generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 47% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.
Click here to see how much of its profit NewMarket paid out over the last 12 months.
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. This is why it's a relief to see NewMarket earnings per share are up 3.7% per annum over the last five years. Recent growth has not been impressive. However, companies that see their growth slow can often choose to pay out a greater percentage of earnings to shareholders, which could see the dividend continue to rise.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, NewMarket has lifted its dividend by approximately 18% a year on average. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.
To Sum It Up
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid NewMarket? Earnings per share have been growing moderately, and NewMarket is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends, which is an attractive combination as it suggests the company is investing in growth. We would prefer to see earnings growing faster, but the best dividend stocks over the long term typically combine significant earnings per share growth with a low payout ratio, and NewMarket is halfway there. NewMarket looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
While it's tempting to invest in NewMarket for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for NewMarket you should know about.
A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising 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.
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