Yahoo Finance Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) Looks Interesting, And It's About To Pay A Dividend
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 3 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Accordingly, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings investors that purchase the stock on or after the 17th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 9th of September.
The upcoming dividend for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings will put a total of US$0.72 per share in shareholders' pockets. 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! So we need to investigate whether Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
View our latest analysis for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings paid out just 3.4% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 3.6% of its free cash flow in the last year.
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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 26% per annum for the past five years. With earnings per share growing rapidly and the company sensibly reinvesting almost all of its profits within the business, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings looks like a promising growth company.
This is Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings's first year of paying a dividend, so it doesn't have much of a history yet to compare to.
Final Takeaway
Should investors buy Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings for the upcoming dividend? Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research.
With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (1 is a bit unpleasant) you should be aware of.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield 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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