Here's What We Like About Masco's (NYSE:MAS) 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 Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) is about to go ex-dividend in just 3 days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 7th of January, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 8th of February.
Masco's next dividend payment will be US$0.14 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.56 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Masco has a trailing yield of 1.0% on the current share price of $54.93. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Masco's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Masco has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for Masco
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. Masco has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 19% of its income after tax. 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. Luckily it paid out just 22% of its free cash flow last year.
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.
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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. This is why it's a relief to see Masco earnings per share are up 4.3% per annum over the last five years. Masco is retaining more than three-quarters of its earnings and has a history of generating some growth in earnings. We think this is a reasonable combination.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Masco has increased its dividend at approximately 6.4% a year on average. 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.
To Sum It Up
Is Masco an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Earnings per share growth has been growing somewhat, and Masco is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends. This is interesting for a few reasons, as it suggests management may be reinvesting heavily in the business, but it also provides room to increase the dividend in time. We would prefer to see earnings growing faster, but the best dividend stocks over the long term typically combine significant earnings per share growth with a low payout ratio, and Masco is halfway there. Masco looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
While it's tempting to invest in Masco for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Masco and you should be aware of these before buying any shares.
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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