There's A Lot To Like About Canadian Natural Resources' (TSE:CNQ) Upcoming CA$0.59 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 Canadian Natural Resources Limited (TSE:CNQ) is about to go ex-dividend in just 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 an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Accordingly, Canadian Natural Resources investors that purchase the stock on or after the 9th of December will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 5th of January.
The company's next dividend payment will be CA$0.59 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed CA$2.35 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Canadian Natural Resources has a trailing yield of 4.5% on the current share price of CA$51.9. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Canadian Natural Resources's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Canadian Natural Resources has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Check out our latest analysis for Canadian Natural Resources
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Canadian Natural Resources's payout ratio is modest, at just 37% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Canadian Natural Resources generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 29% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
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 fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. For this reason, we're glad to see Canadian Natural Resources's earnings per share have risen 18% per annum over the last five years. Earnings per share are growing rapidly and the company is keeping more than half of its earnings within the business; an attractive combination which could suggest the company is focused on reinvesting to grow earnings further. This will make it easier to fund future growth efforts and we think this is an attractive combination - plus the dividend can always be increased later.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Canadian Natural Resources has delivered an average of 21% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.
To Sum It Up
Should investors buy Canadian Natural Resources for the upcoming dividend? We love that Canadian Natural Resources 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. There's a lot to like about Canadian Natural Resources, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
In light of that, while Canadian Natural Resources has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Be aware that Canadian Natural Resources is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is potentially serious...
A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
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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.
