One Day Left To Buy International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Before The Ex-Dividend Date

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 International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) is about to go ex-dividend in just day or so. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order 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. Therefore, if you purchase International Paper's shares on or after the 12th of August, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 15th of September.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.46 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.85 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, International Paper has a trailing yield of 4.4% on the current stock price of $42.51. 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! We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

View our latest analysis for International Paper

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. International Paper is paying out an acceptable 51% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. 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. It paid out more than half (70%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies.

It's positive to see that International Paper'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 earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Fortunately for readers, International Paper's earnings per share have been growing at 15% a year for the past five years. International Paper has an average payout ratio which suggests a balance between growing earnings and rewarding shareholders. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, International Paper has lifted its dividend by approximately 5.8% a year on average. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because International Paper is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business.

The Bottom Line

Should investors buy International Paper for the upcoming dividend? It's good to see earnings are growing, since all of the best dividend stocks grow their earnings meaningfully over the long run. That's why we're glad to see International Paper's earnings per share growing, although as we saw, the company is paying out more than half of its earnings and cashflow - 51% and 70% respectively. Overall, it's hard to get excited about International Paper from a dividend perspective.

While it's tempting to invest in International Paper for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for International Paper and you should be aware of them before buying any shares.

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.

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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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