Yahoo Finance There's A Lot To Like About Tourmaline Oil's (TSE:TOU) Upcoming CA$0.32 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 Tourmaline Oil Corp. (TSE:TOU) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. This means that investors who purchase Tourmaline Oil's shares on or after the 14th of June will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 28th of June.
The company's upcoming dividend is CA$0.32 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of CA$5.20 per share to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Tourmaline Oil has a trailing yield of 7.8% on the current share price of CA$66.61. 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! So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Tourmaline Oil
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Tourmaline Oil paid out just 22% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. 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. The good news is it paid out just 25% of its free cash flow in the last year.
It's positive to see that Tourmaline Oil'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?
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. It's encouraging to see Tourmaline Oil has grown its earnings rapidly, up 27% a year for the past five years. With earnings per share growing rapidly and the company sensibly reinvesting almost all of its profits within the business, Tourmaline Oil looks like a promising growth company.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Tourmaline Oil has delivered 59% dividend growth per year on average over the past six years. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.
To Sum It Up
Is Tourmaline Oil worth buying for its dividend? Tourmaline Oil has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past six years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. There's a lot to like about Tourmaline Oil, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
So while Tourmaline Oil looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Tourmaline Oil you should know about.
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.
