Advertisement
U.S. markets close in 5 hours 40 minutes
  • S&P 500

    5,249.24
    +0.75 (+0.01%)
     
  • Dow 30

    39,743.30
    -16.78 (-0.04%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    16,385.80
    -13.72 (-0.08%)
     
  • Russell 2000

    2,123.94
    +9.60 (+0.45%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    82.32
    +0.97 (+1.19%)
     
  • Gold

    2,225.90
    +13.20 (+0.60%)
     
  • Silver

    24.67
    -0.08 (-0.31%)
     
  • EUR/USD

    1.0806
    -0.0023 (-0.22%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2000
    +0.0040 (+0.10%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2636
    -0.0002 (-0.02%)
     
  • USD/JPY

    151.2740
    +0.0280 (+0.02%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    70,797.39
    +1,458.38 (+2.10%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,961.53
    +29.55 (+0.37%)
     
  • Nikkei 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     

Cardinal Health's (NYSE:CAH) Dividend Will Be $0.4957

The board of Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.4957 per share on the 15th of January. The dividend yield will be 2.5% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

See our latest analysis for Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health's Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Cardinal Health is not generating a profit, but its free cash flows easily cover the dividend, leaving plenty for reinvestment in the business. In general, cash flows are more important than the more traditional measures of profit so we feel pretty comfortable with the dividend at this level.

Analysts are expecting EPS to grow by 67.7% over the next 12 months. We like to see the company moving towards profitability, but this probably won't be enough for it to post positive net income this year. The positive free cash flows give us some comfort, however, that the dividend could continue to be sustained.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Cardinal Health Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from $0.86 total annually to $1.98. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 8.7% over that duration. Companies like this can be very valuable over the long term, if the decent rate of growth can be maintained.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. Earnings per share has been sinking by 15% over the last five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend.

In Summary

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. The company is generating plenty of cash, but we still think the dividend is a bit high for comfort. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Cardinal Health that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of 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.

Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here

Advertisement