Yahoo Finance Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Limited (ASX:NEC) Stock Goes Ex-Dividend In Just Two Days
Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Limited (ASX:NEC) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next two 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 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. Therefore, if you purchase Nine Entertainment Holdings' shares on or after the 3rd of March, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 21st of April.
The company's next dividend payment will be AU$0.07 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of AU$0.10 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Nine Entertainment Holdings stock has a trailing yield of around 3.8% on the current share price of A$2.77. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Nine Entertainment Holdings's dividend is reliable and sustainable. 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 Nine Entertainment Holdings
Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Last year, Nine Entertainment Holdings paid out 106% of its income as dividends, which is above a level that we're comfortable with, especially if the company needs to reinvest in its business. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. It distributed 39% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.
It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and Nine Entertainment Holdings 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. Extraordinarily few companies are capable of persistently paying a dividend that is greater than their profits.
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. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see Nine Entertainment Holdings's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 21% per annum for the past five years.
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, eight years ago, Nine Entertainment Holdings has lifted its dividend by approximately 12% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
To Sum It Up
Is Nine Entertainment Holdings an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Earnings per share have been rising nicely although, even though its cashflow payout ratio is low, we question why Nine Entertainment Holdings is paying out so much of its profit. Overall we're not hugely bearish on the stock, but there are likely better dividend investments out there.
With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. For example - Nine Entertainment Holdings has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.
Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.
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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.
