Why You Might Be Interested In Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBGI) 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 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBGI) is about to go ex-dividend in just 3 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 29th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 16th of September.
Sinclair Broadcast Group's next dividend payment will be US$0.20 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.80 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Sinclair Broadcast Group has a trailing yield of 1.9% on the current share price of $43.1. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Sinclair Broadcast Group has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Check out our latest analysis for Sinclair Broadcast Group
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. Sinclair Broadcast Group has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 22% of its income after tax. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Sinclair Broadcast Group generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 15% of its 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 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 Sinclair Broadcast Group's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 39% per annum for the past five years. Sinclair Broadcast Group looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Sinclair Broadcast Group's dividend payments are broadly unchanged compared to where they were ten years ago.
The Bottom Line
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Sinclair Broadcast Group? Sinclair Broadcast Group has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past ten years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.
Ever wonder what the future holds for Sinclair Broadcast Group? See what the six analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow
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.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
