Here's What We Like About Fidelity National Financial's (NYSE:FNF) Upcoming Dividend
Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. You will need to purchase shares before the 15th of September to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of September.
Fidelity National Financial's next dividend payment will be US$0.33 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.32 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Fidelity National Financial has a trailing yield of 3.9% on the current stock price of $33.57. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Fidelity National Financial
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. Fidelity National Financial paid out a comfortable 43% of its profit last year.
When a company paid out less in dividends than it earned in profit, this generally suggests its dividend is affordable. The lower the % of its profit that it pays out, the greater the margin of safety for the dividend if the business enters a downturn.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Fidelity National Financial, with earnings per share up 7.8% on average over the last five years.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Fidelity National Financial has delivered an average of 8.2% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.
Final Takeaway
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Fidelity National Financial? It has been growing its earnings per share somewhat in recent years, although it reinvests more than half its earnings in the business, which could suggest there are some growth projects that have not yet reached fruition. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating Fidelity National Financial more closely.
In light of that, while Fidelity National Financial has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. For example, we've found 3 warning signs for Fidelity National Financial that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.
We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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