Yahoo Finance Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Looks Like A Good Stock, And It's Going Ex-Dividend Soon
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 Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) is about to go ex-dividend in just four 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. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Therefore, if you purchase Stewart Information Services' shares on or after the 14th of December, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 30th of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.45 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$1.80 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Stewart Information Services has a trailing yield of 4.2% on the current stock price of $43.08. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Stewart Information Services's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Stewart Information Services has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Check out our latest analysis for Stewart Information Services
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Stewart Information Services paid out just 18% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances.
When a company paid out less in dividends than it earned in profit, this generally suggests its dividend is affordable. The lower the % of its profit that it pays out, the greater the margin of safety for the dividend if the business enters a downturn.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. It's encouraging to see Stewart Information Services has grown its earnings rapidly, up 36% a year for the past five years.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Stewart Information Services has lifted its dividend by approximately 34% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
The Bottom Line
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Stewart Information Services? Companies like Stewart Information Services that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings, are usually reinvesting heavily in their business. Perhaps even more importantly - this can sometimes signal management is focused on the long term future of the business. In summary, Stewart Information Services appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.
With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Stewart Information Services you should know about.
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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