We Wouldn't Be Too Quick To Buy Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SOI) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend
It looks like Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SOI) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 3 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 important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Meaning, you will need to purchase Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure's shares before the 30th of November to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 11th of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.12 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.48 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure stock has a trailing yield of around 5.4% on the current share price of $8.87. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.
See our latest analysis for Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure
Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure is paying out an acceptable 56% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Over the past year it paid out 178% of its free cash flow as dividends, which is uncomfortably high. We're curious about why the company paid out more cash than it generated last year, since this can be one of the early signs that a dividend may be unsustainable.
While Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure's dividends were covered by the company's reported profits, cash is somewhat more important, so it's not great to see that the company didn't generate enough cash to pay its dividend. Cash is king, as they say, and were Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure to repeatedly pay dividends that aren't well covered by cashflow, we would consider this a warning sign.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure's earnings per share have dropped 27% a year over the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure has delivered an average of 3.7% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past five years of dividend payments. That's interesting, but the combination of a growing dividend despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out more of the company's profits. This can be valuable for shareholders, but it can't go on forever.
Final Takeaway
Should investors buy Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure for the upcoming dividend? It's definitely not great to see earnings per share shrinking. The company paid out an acceptable percentage of its income, but an uncomfortably high percentage of its cash flow over the past year. Overall it doesn't look like the most suitable dividend stock for a long-term buy and hold investor.
Although, if you're still interested in Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure and want to know more, you'll find it very useful to know what risks this stock faces. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.
If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.
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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.
