Yahoo Finance We Wouldn't Be Too Quick To Buy National Australia Bank Limited (ASX:NAB) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend
National Australia Bank Limited (ASX:NAB) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next three 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. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Meaning, you will need to purchase National Australia Bank's shares before the 15th of November to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be AU$0.67 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of AU$1.40 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that National Australia Bank has a trailing yield of 4.5% on the current share price of A$29.66. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
Check out our latest analysis for National Australia Bank
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. National Australia Bank paid out more than half (65%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies.
When a company paid out less in dividends than it earned in profit, this generally suggests its dividend is affordable. The lower the % of its profit that it pays out, the greater the margin of safety for the dividend if the business enters a downturn.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. So we're not too excited that National Australia Bank's earnings are down 4.0% a year over the past five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. National Australia Bank has seen its dividend decline 2.2% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. It's never nice to see earnings and dividends falling, but at least management has cut the dividend rather than potentially risk the company's health in an attempt to maintain it.
Final Takeaway
Has National Australia Bank got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? We're not overly enthused to see National Australia Bank's earnings in retreat at the same time as the company is paying out more than half of its earnings as dividends to shareholders. These characteristics don't generally lead to outstanding dividend performance, and investors may not be happy with the results of owning this stock for its dividend.
Having said that, if you're looking at this stock without much concern for the dividend, you should still be familiar of the risks involved with National Australia Bank. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with National Australia Bank and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
