Yahoo Finance Here's What We Like About Polypipe Group plc (LON:PLP)'s Upcoming Dividend
Polypipe Group plc (LON:PLP) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days time. Investors can purchase shares before the 29th of August in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 20th of September.
Polypipe Group's next dividend payment will be UK£0.04 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of UK£0.12 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Polypipe Group has a trailing yield of 3.0% on the current share price of £3.88. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Polypipe Group has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for Polypipe Group
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. Polypipe Group paid out a comfortable 47% of its profit last year. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. It distributed 42% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.
It's positive to see that Polypipe Group's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.
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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. It's encouraging to see Polypipe Group has grown its earnings rapidly, up 20% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing very quickly, and the company is paying out a relatively low percentage of its profit and cash flow. Companies with growing earnings and low payout ratios are often the best long-term dividend stocks, as the company can both grow its earnings and increase the percentage of earnings that it pays out, essentially multiplying the dividend.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 5 years, Polypipe Group has increased its dividend at approximately 31% a year on average. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.
To Sum It Up
Is Polypipe Group an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Polypipe Group has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.
Ever wonder what the future holds for Polypipe Group? See what the eight analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow
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.
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.
