Yahoo Finance General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) 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 General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. You can purchase shares before the 14th of January in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 5th of February.
General Dynamics's next dividend payment will be US$1.10 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$4.40 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that General Dynamics has a trailing yield of 2.9% on the current share price of $150.77. 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! So we need to investigate whether General Dynamics can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
Check out our latest analysis for General Dynamics
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. General Dynamics paid out a comfortable 39% of its profit last year. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether General Dynamics generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 46% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
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.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. This is why it's a relief to see General Dynamics earnings per share are up 6.8% per annum over the last five years. Management have been reinvested more than half of the company's earnings within the business, and the company has been able to grow earnings with this retained capital. We think this is generally an attractive combination, as dividends can grow through a combination of earnings growth and or a higher payout ratio over time.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. General Dynamics has delivered 10% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.
Final Takeaway
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid General Dynamics? Earnings per share growth has been growing somewhat, and General Dynamics is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends. This is interesting for a few reasons, as it suggests management may be reinvesting heavily in the business, but it also provides room to increase the dividend in time. We would prefer to see earnings growing faster, but the best dividend stocks over the long term typically combine significant earnings per share growth with a low payout ratio, and General Dynamics is halfway there. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.
On that note, you'll want to research what risks General Dynamics is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for General Dynamics you should know about.
If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top 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.
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