Yahoo Finance There's A Lot To Like About Nasdaq's (NASDAQ:NDAQ) Upcoming US$0.22 Dividend
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 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. 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. Thus, you can purchase Nasdaq's shares before the 7th of December in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 22nd of December.
The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.22 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.88 per share to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Nasdaq has a trailing yield of 1.6% on the current share price of $55.9. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Nasdaq has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for Nasdaq
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. That's why it's good to see Nasdaq paying out a modest 37% of its earnings.
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. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Nasdaq, with earnings per share up 5.5% on average over the last five years.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Nasdaq has increased its dividend at approximately 18% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.
Final Takeaway
Should investors buy Nasdaq for the upcoming dividend? Nasdaq has seen its earnings per share grow slowly in recent years, and the company reinvests more than half of its profits in the business, which generally bodes well for its future prospects. In summary, Nasdaq appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.
While it's tempting to invest in Nasdaq for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Nasdaq (1 doesn't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.
If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top 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.
