Yahoo Finance Here's What We Like About Occidental Petroleum's (NYSE:OXY) 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 Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Meaning, you will need to purchase Occidental Petroleum's shares before the 8th of June to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of July.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.18 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.72 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Occidental Petroleum has a trailing yield of 1.2% on the current share price of $59.69. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Occidental Petroleum's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Occidental Petroleum can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
View our latest analysis for Occidental Petroleum
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. Occidental Petroleum has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 6.0% of its income after tax. 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 11% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low.
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?
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 fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. That's why it's comforting to see Occidental Petroleum's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 42% per annum for the past five years. Occidental Petroleum earnings per share have been sprinting ahead like the Road Runner at a track and field day; scarcely stopping even for a cheeky "beep-beep". We also like that it is reinvesting most of its profits in its business.'
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Occidental Petroleum has seen its dividend decline 10% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. Occidental Petroleum is a rare case where dividends have been decreasing at the same time as earnings per share have been improving. It's unusual to see, and could point to unstable conditions in the core business, or more rarely an intensified focus on reinvesting profits.
The Bottom Line
Has Occidental Petroleum got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Occidental Petroleum has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past 10 years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.
While it's tempting to invest in Occidental Petroleum for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. For example, we've found 2 warning signs for Occidental Petroleum (1 is potentially serious!) that deserve your attention before investing in the 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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