Yahoo Finance Be Sure To Check Out Briscoe Group Limited (NZSE:BGP) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend
Briscoe Group Limited (NZSE:BGP) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 3 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 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, Briscoe Group investors that purchase the stock on or after the 20th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of October.
The company's upcoming dividend is NZ$0.14 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of NZ$0.27 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Briscoe Group has a trailing yield of 3.8% on the current stock price of NZ$7.17. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Briscoe Group's dividend is reliable and sustainable. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.
View our latest analysis for Briscoe Group
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. Briscoe Group paid out more than half (60%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. Over the last year it paid out 65% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.
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 Briscoe Group paid out over the last 12 months.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. For this reason, we're glad to see Briscoe Group's earnings per share have risen 14% per annum over the last five years. Briscoe Group is paying out a bit over half its earnings, which suggests the company is striking a balance between reinvesting in growth, and paying dividends. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Briscoe Group 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.
Final Takeaway
Should investors buy Briscoe Group for the upcoming dividend? It's good to see earnings are growing, since all of the best dividend stocks grow their earnings meaningfully over the long run. That's why we're glad to see Briscoe Group's earnings per share growing, although as we saw, the company is paying out more than half of its earnings and cashflow - 60% and 65% respectively. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there.
While it's tempting to invest in Briscoe Group for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Briscoe Group and you should be aware of it before buying any shares.
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. 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.
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