Yahoo Finance Dividend Investors: Don't Be Too Quick To Buy Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) For Its Upcoming Dividend
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 Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) is about to go ex-dividend in just 3 days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 6th of September, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 30th of September.
Becton Dickinson's next dividend payment will be US$0.77 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$3.08 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Becton Dickinson has a trailing yield of 1.2% on the current stock price of $253.92. 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! As a result, readers should always check whether Becton Dickinson has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for Becton Dickinson
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. Becton Dickinson paid out 105% of its earnings, which is more than we're comfortable with, unless there are mitigating circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Becton Dickinson generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 41% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
It's good to see that while Becton Dickinson's dividends were not covered by profits, at least they are affordable from a cash perspective. If executives were to continue paying more in dividends than the company reported in profits, we'd view this as a warning sign. 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?
Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. Becton Dickinson's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 9.4% a year over the previous 5 years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Becton Dickinson has delivered an average of 8.8% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. The only way to pay higher dividends when earnings are shrinking is either to pay out a larger percentage of profits, spend cash from the balance sheet, or borrow the money. Becton Dickinson is already paying out 105% of its profits, and with shrinking earnings we think it's unlikely that this dividend will grow quickly in the future.
Final Takeaway
Is Becton Dickinson an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's not a great combination to see a company with earnings in decline and paying out 105% of its profits, which could imply the dividend may be at risk of being cut in the future. Yet cashflow was much stronger, which makes us wonder if there are some large timing issues in Becton Dickinson's cash flows, or perhaps the company has written down some assets aggressively, reducing its income. Overall it doesn't look like the most suitable dividend stock for a long-term buy and hold investor.
Ever wonder what the future holds for Becton Dickinson? See what the 19 analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow
We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
