Yahoo Finance It Might Not Be A Great Idea To Buy Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC) For Its Next Dividend
Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 7th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of September.
Moelis's next dividend payment will be US$0.26 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$1.77 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Moelis has a trailing yield of 5.9% on the current share price of $29.79. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.
View our latest analysis for Moelis
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. Last year Moelis paid out 103% of its profits as dividends to shareholders, suggesting the dividend is not well covered by earnings.
When the dividend payout ratio is high, as it is in this case, the dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut in the future.
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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Moelis, with earnings per share up 7.3% on average over the last five years.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Moelis has delivered 14% dividend growth per year on average over the past six 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 Moelis? Moelis has been growing earnings per share at a reasonable rate, but over the last year its dividend was not well covered by earnings. This is not an overtly appealing combination of characteristics, and we're just not that interested in this company's dividend.
With that being said, if you're still considering Moelis as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. Our analysis shows 6 warning signs for Moelis and you should be aware of these before buying any shares.
A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising 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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