Dividend Investors: Don't Be Too Quick To Buy CSP Inc. (NASDAQ:CSPI) For Its Upcoming 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 CSP Inc. (NASDAQ:CSPI) is about to go ex-dividend in just three days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. 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. Meaning, you will need to purchase CSP's shares before the 19th of August to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 9th of September.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.03 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.12 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, CSP has a trailing yield of 1.4% on the current stock price of $8.54. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether CSP's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
See our latest analysis for CSP
Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. CSP distributed an unsustainably high 182% of its profit as dividends to shareholders last year. Without extenuating circumstances, we'd consider the dividend at risk of a cut.
Click here to see how much of its profit CSP paid out over the last 12 months.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see CSP's earnings per share have dropped 25% a year over the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, CSP has increased its dividend at approximately 1.8% a year on average.
To Sum It Up
Should investors buy CSP for the upcoming dividend? Not only are earnings per share shrinking, but CSP is paying out a disconcertingly high percentage of its profit as dividends. It's not that we hate the business, but we feel that these characeristics are not desirable for investors seeking a reliable dividend stock to own for the long term. This is not an overtly appealing combination of characteristics, and we're just not that interested in this company's dividend.
So if you're still interested in CSP despite it's poor dividend qualities, you should be well informed on some of the risks facing this stock. We've identified 3 warning signs with CSP (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.
If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.
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
