Yahoo Finance Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. (VTX:COPN) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 2.0% Yield
Readers hoping to buy Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. (VTX:COPN) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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. 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. Thus, you can purchase Cosmo Pharmaceuticals' shares before the 31st of May in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 2nd of June.
The company's next dividend payment will be €1.05 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of €1.05 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals has a trailing yield of approximately 2.0% on its current stock price of CHF49.9. 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 Cosmo Pharmaceuticals can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
See our latest analysis for Cosmo Pharmaceuticals
Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Last year, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals paid out 100% of its income as dividends, which is above a level that we're comfortable with, especially if the company needs to reinvest in its business. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. It paid out more than half (60%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies.
It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and Cosmo Pharmaceuticals fortunately did generate enough cash to fund its dividend. Still, if the company repeatedly paid a dividend greater than its profits, we'd be concerned. Very few companies are able to sustainably pay dividends larger than their reported earnings.
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 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 Cosmo Pharmaceuticals has grown its earnings rapidly, up 60% a year for the past five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, nine years ago, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals has lifted its dividend by approximately 0.5% a year on average. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Cosmo Pharmaceuticals is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business.
To Sum It Up
Is Cosmo Pharmaceuticals an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Cosmo Pharmaceuticals has been growing its earnings per share nicely, although judging by the difference between its profit and cashflow payout ratios, the company might have reported some write-offs over the last year. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there.
With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, you should know about the other risks facing this business. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Cosmo Pharmaceuticals that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.
Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.
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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