Yahoo Finance Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 3.1% Yield
Readers hoping to buy Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Meaning, you will need to purchase Corning's shares before the 17th of November to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 16th of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.27 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.08 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Corning has a trailing yield of 3.1% on the current share price of $34.46. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Corning's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Corning can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
Check out our latest analysis for Corning
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 Corning's payout ratio is modest, at just 48% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Corning generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Over the last year, it paid out more than three-quarters (76%) of its free cash flow generated, which is fairly high and may be starting to limit reinvestment in the business.
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 the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Corning's earnings per share have dropped 9.2% a year over the past five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Corning has lifted its dividend by approximately 14% a year on average.
To Sum It Up
Is Corning worth buying for its dividend? Its earnings per share have been declining meaningfully, although it is paying out less than half its income and more than half its cash flow as dividends. Neither payout ratio appears an immediate concern, but we're concerned about the earnings. Overall, it's hard to get excited about Corning from a dividend perspective.
With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Corning, you should know about the other risks facing this business. For example, we've found 2 warning signs for Corning that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.
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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.
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