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Commercial Metals Company (NYSE:CMC) Looks Interesting, And It's About To Pay A Dividend

Readers hoping to buy Commercial Metals Company (NYSE:CMC) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. If you purchase the stock on or after the 2nd of July, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 20th of July.

Commercial Metals's upcoming dividend is US$0.12 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.48 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Commercial Metals has a trailing yield of 2.5% on the current share price of $19.56. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Commercial Metals

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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. Commercial Metals paid out just 19% 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 Commercial Metals generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 9.4% of its free cash flow 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.

NYSE:CMC Historic Dividend June 29th 2020
NYSE:CMC Historic Dividend June 29th 2020

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 decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. It's encouraging to see Commercial Metals has grown its earnings rapidly, up 20% a year for the past five years. Commercial Metals looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Commercial Metals's dividend payments are effectively flat on where they were ten years ago.

The Bottom Line

Has Commercial Metals got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? We love that Commercial Metals is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. There's a lot to like about Commercial Metals, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Commercial Metals is facing. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Commercial Metals (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying the shares.

A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.