Yahoo Finance There's A Lot To Like About Cigna Group's (NYSE:CI) Upcoming US$1.23 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 The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Accordingly, Cigna Group investors that purchase the stock on or after the 6th of June will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 22nd of June.
The company's upcoming dividend is US$1.23 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$4.92 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Cigna Group stock has a trailing yield of around 2.0% on the current share price of $247.41. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Cigna Group's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Cigna Group has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for Cigna 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. Cigna Group paid out just 21% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Cigna Group generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 14% of its free cash flow in the last year.
It's positive to see that Cigna 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?
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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see Cigna Group's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 21% per annum for the past five years. With earnings per share growing rapidly and the company sensibly reinvesting almost all of its profits within the business, Cigna Group looks like a promising growth company.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the last 10 years, Cigna Group has lifted its dividend by approximately 62% a year on average. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.
The Bottom Line
Should investors buy Cigna Group for the upcoming dividend? Cigna 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. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research.
So while Cigna Group looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. For example, we've found 2 warning signs for Cigna Group that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.
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.
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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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