Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE:RS) Passed Our Checks, And It's About To Pay A US$1.00 Dividend
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE:RS) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Accordingly, Reliance Steel & Aluminum investors that purchase the stock on or after the 25th of May will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 9th of June.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$1.00 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$4.00 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Reliance Steel & Aluminum has a trailing yield of 1.6% on the current share price of $244.03. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Reliance Steel & Aluminum's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Reliance Steel & Aluminum
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. Reliance Steel & Aluminum paid out just 13% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. Luckily it paid out just 13% 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?
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 decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's comforting to see Reliance Steel & Aluminum's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 28% per annum for the past five years. Reliance Steel & Aluminum earnings per share have been sprinting ahead like the Road Runner at a track and field day; scarcely stopping even for a cheeky "beep-beep". We also like that it is reinvesting most of its profits in its business.'
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the last 10 years, Reliance Steel & Aluminum has lifted its dividend by approximately 15% a year on average. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.
The Bottom Line
Is Reliance Steel & Aluminum an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We love that Reliance Steel & Aluminum is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Reliance Steel & Aluminum looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
In light of that, while Reliance Steel & Aluminum has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Reliance Steel & Aluminum (including 1 which is a bit concerning).
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield 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.
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