Yahoo Finance Four Days Left Until Sensata Technologies Holding plc (NYSE:ST) Trades Ex-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 Sensata Technologies Holding plc (NYSE:ST) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. This means that investors who purchase Sensata Technologies Holding's shares on or after the 7th of February will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 22nd of February.
The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.11 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.44 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Sensata Technologies Holding stock has a trailing yield of around 0.8% on the current share price of $52.63. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
See our latest analysis for Sensata Technologies Holding
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Sensata Technologies Holding paid out just 16% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 16% of its cash flow last year.
It's positive to see that Sensata Technologies Holding'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?
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. That's why it's not ideal to see Sensata Technologies Holding's earnings per share have been shrinking at 3.2% a year over the previous five years.
Given that Sensata Technologies Holding has only been paying a dividend for a year, there's not much of a past history to draw insight from.
Final Takeaway
Is Sensata Technologies Holding worth buying for its dividend? Sensata Technologies Holding has comfortably low cash and profit payout ratios, which may mean the dividend is sustainable even in the face of a sharp decline in earnings per share. Still, we consider declining earnings to be a warning sign. 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 Sensata Technologies Holding for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. For example, we've found 1 warning sign for Sensata Technologies Holding 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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