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Why It Might Not Make Sense To Buy C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. (CVE:CMI) For Its Upcoming Dividend

C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. (CVE:CMI) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days. Investors can purchase shares before the 31st of July in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of August.

C-Com Satellite Systems's upcoming dividend is CA$0.013 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of CA$0.05 per share to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that C-Com Satellite Systems has a trailing yield of 1.8% on the current share price of CA$2.8. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether C-Com Satellite Systems can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

View our latest analysis for C-Com Satellite Systems

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. C-Com Satellite Systems distributed an unsustainably high 126% of its profit as dividends to shareholders last year. Without more sustainable payment behaviour, the dividend looks precarious. 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.

It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and C-Com Satellite Systems fortunately did generate enough cash to fund its dividend. If executives were to continue paying more in dividends than the company reported in profits, we'd view this as a warning sign. Very few companies are able to sustainably pay dividends larger than their reported earnings.

Click here to see how much of its profit C-Com Satellite Systems paid out over the last 12 months.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. With that in mind, we're discomforted by C-Com Satellite Systems's 13% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. C-Com Satellite Systems has delivered 6.6% dividend growth per year on average over the past eight years. The only way to pay higher dividends when earnings are shrinking is either to pay out a larger percentage of profits, spend cash from the balance sheet, or borrow the money. C-Com Satellite Systems is already paying out 126% of its profits, and with shrinking earnings we think it's unlikely that this dividend will grow quickly in the future.

The Bottom Line

Has C-Com Satellite Systems got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? It's looking like an unattractive opportunity, with its earnings per share declining, while, paying out an uncomfortably high percentage of both its profits (126%) and cash flow as dividends. This is a starkly negative combination that often suggests a dividend cut could be in the company's near future. Overall it doesn't look like the most suitable dividend stock for a long-term buy and hold investor.

With that in mind though, if the poor dividend characteristics of C-Com Satellite Systems don't faze you, it's worth being mindful of the risks involved with this business. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with C-Com Satellite Systems (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant).

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

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