Yahoo Finance Here's What We Like About Lennox International's (NYSE:LII) Upcoming Dividend
Lennox International Inc. (NYSE:LII) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 3 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Accordingly, Lennox International investors that purchase the stock on or after the 30th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of September.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$1.06 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$4.24 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Lennox International has a trailing yield of 1.7% on the current share price of $252.47. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Lennox International
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. Lennox International paid out a comfortable 30% of its profit last year. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. Over the last year it paid out 58% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.
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 strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Fortunately for readers, Lennox International's earnings per share have been growing at 16% a year for the past five years. Lennox International is paying out a bit over half its earnings, which suggests the company is striking a balance between reinvesting in growth, and paying dividends. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Lennox International has delivered an average of 19% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
To Sum It Up
Is Lennox International worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share have grown at a nice rate in recent times and over the last year, Lennox International paid out less than half its earnings and a bit over half its free cash flow. Lennox International looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
In light of that, while Lennox International has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. For example, Lennox International has 3 warning signs (and 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) we think you should know about.
If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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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