Yahoo Finance Only 3 Days Left To Cash In On Cineworld Group plc (LON:CINE) Dividend
Readers hoping to buy Cineworld Group plc (LON:CINE) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. Investors can purchase shares before the 12th of December in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 10th of January.
Cineworld Group's next dividend payment will be UK£0.037 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed UK£0.15 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Cineworld Group stock has a trailing yield of around 5.3% on the current share price of £2.15. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether Cineworld Group can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
View our latest analysis for Cineworld Group
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. It paid out 89% of its earnings as dividends last year, which is not unreasonable, but limits reinvestment in the business and leaves the dividend vulnerable to a business downturn. It could become a concern if earnings started to decline. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Cineworld Group generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 21% of its free cash flow in the last year.
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 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. So we're not too excited that Cineworld Group's earnings are down 2.9% a year over the past five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the last ten years, Cineworld Group has lifted its dividend by approximately 1.4% a year on average.
The Bottom Line
Is Cineworld Group an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We're not enthused by the declining earnings per share, although at least the company's payout ratio is within a reasonable range, meaning it may not be at imminent risk of a dividend cut. In summary, while it has some positive characteristics, we're not inclined to race out and buy Cineworld Group today.
Wondering what the future holds for Cineworld Group? See what the 13 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.
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.
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. Thank you for reading.
