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Only 4 Days Left To Cash In On FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) Dividend

It looks like FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 4 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 30th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 17th of September.

FutureFuel's next dividend payment will be US$0.06 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.24 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, FutureFuel stock has a trailing yield of around 2.3% on the current share price of $10.35. 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 FutureFuel can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

Check out our latest analysis for FutureFuel

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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. FutureFuel paid out 51% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. 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 41% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.

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 how much of its profit FutureFuel paid out over the last 12 months.

NYSE:FF Historical Dividend Yield, August 25th 2019
NYSE:FF Historical Dividend Yield, August 25th 2019

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see FutureFuel's earnings per share have dropped 23% a year over the past five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. FutureFuel has seen its dividend decline 2.2% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. While it's not great that earnings and dividends per share have fallen in recent years, we're encouraged by the fact that management has trimmed the dividend rather than risk over-committing the company in a risky attempt to maintain yields to shareholders.

Final Takeaway

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid FutureFuel? The payout ratios are within a reasonable range, implying the dividend may be sustainable. Declining earnings are a serious concern, however, and could pose a threat to the dividend in future. In summary, while it has some positive characteristics, we're not inclined to race out and buy FutureFuel today.

Curious about whether FutureFuel has been able to consistently generate growth? Here's a chart of its historical revenue and earnings growth.

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.