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Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) Looks Like A Good Stock, And It's Going Ex-Dividend Soon

Readers hoping to buy Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Thus, you can purchase Donaldson Company's shares before the 2nd of December in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 20th of December.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.23 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.92 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Donaldson Company stock has a trailing yield of around 1.5% on the current share price of $61.18. 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 Donaldson Company can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

See our latest analysis for Donaldson Company

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. Donaldson Company paid out a comfortable 33% of its profit last year. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Over the last year it paid out 66% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range 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 the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

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historic-dividend

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. This is why it's a relief to see Donaldson Company earnings per share are up 9.1% per annum over the last five years. Decent historical earnings per share growth suggests Donaldson Company has been effectively growing value for shareholders. However, it's now paying out more than half its earnings as dividends. Therefore it's unlikely that the company will be able to reinvest heavily in its business, which could presage slower growth in the future.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Donaldson Company has delivered 11% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

To Sum It Up

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Donaldson Company? Earnings per share growth has been modest, and it's interesting that Donaldson Company is paying out less than half of its earnings and more than half its cash flow to shareholders in the form of dividends. To summarise, Donaldson Company looks okay on this analysis, although it doesn't appear a stand-out opportunity.

In light of that, while Donaldson Company has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Donaldson Company and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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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