Yahoo Finance Dividend Investors: Don't Be Too Quick To Buy Associated British Foods plc (LON:ABF) For Its Upcoming Dividend
It looks like Associated British Foods plc (LON:ABF) is about to go ex-dividend in the next four 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. 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. In other words, investors can purchase Associated British Foods' shares before the 15th of December in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 13th of January.
The company's upcoming dividend is UK£0.30 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of UK£0.44 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Associated British Foods stock has a trailing yield of around 2.7% on the current share price of £16.39. 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! 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 Associated British Foods
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. That's why it's good to see Associated British Foods paying out a modest 49% of its earnings. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Associated British Foods generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It paid out 99% of its free cash flow in the form of dividends last year, which is outside the comfort zone for most businesses. Companies usually need cash more than they need earnings - expenses don't pay themselves - so it's not great to see it paying out so much of its cash flow.
Associated British Foods paid out less in dividends than it reported in profits, but unfortunately it didn't generate enough cash to cover the dividend. Cash is king, as they say, and were Associated British Foods to repeatedly pay dividends that aren't well covered by cashflow, we would consider this a warning sign.
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 Associated British Foods's earnings per share have dropped 10% a year over the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Associated British Foods has increased its dividend at approximately 4.4% a year on average.
To Sum It Up
Is Associated British Foods an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Associated British Foods's earnings per share have fallen noticeably and, although it paid out less than half its profit as dividends last year, it paid out a disconcertingly high percentage of its cashflow, which is not a great combination. With the way things are shaping up from a dividend perspective, we'd be inclined to steer clear of Associated British Foods.
With that being said, if you're still considering Associated British Foods as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Associated British Foods 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.
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