Yahoo Finance Here's What We Like About Lennox International's (NYSE:LII) Upcoming Dividend
It looks like Lennox International Inc. (NYSE:LII) is about to go ex-dividend in the next three days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the 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. This means that investors who purchase Lennox International's shares on or after the 30th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of September.
The company's upcoming dividend is US$1.10 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$4.40 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Lennox International has a trailing yield of approximately 1.2% on its current stock price of $360.72. 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 investigate whether Lennox International can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
View our latest analysis for Lennox International
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Lennox International's payout ratio is modest, at just 28% of profit. 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 54% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.
It's positive to see that Lennox International'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?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. For this reason, we're glad to see Lennox International's earnings per share have risen 16% per annum over the last five years. Lennox International has an average payout ratio which suggests a balance between growing earnings and rewarding shareholders. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Lennox International has lifted its dividend by approximately 19% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
Final Takeaway
Is Lennox International worth buying for its dividend? From a dividend perspective, we're encouraged to see that earnings per share have been growing, the company is paying out less than half of its earnings, and a bit over half its free cash flow. There's a lot to like about Lennox International, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
In light of that, while Lennox International has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. For example, we've found 1 warning sign for Lennox International 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.
