We Wouldn't Be Too Quick To Buy Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. (LON:FSTA) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. (LON:FSTA) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. 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. Thus, you can purchase Fuller Smith & Turner's shares before the 7th of July in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 27th of July.
The company's next dividend payment will be UK£0.074 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of UK£0.15 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that Fuller Smith & Turner has a trailing yield of 2.6% on the current share price of £5.66. 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 Fuller Smith & Turner has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
View our latest analysis for Fuller Smith & Turner
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fuller Smith & Turner paid out 98% of its earnings, which is more than we're comfortable with, unless there are mitigating circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Fuller Smith & Turner generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 5.5% of its free cash flow in the last year.
It's good to see that while Fuller Smith & Turner's dividends were not well covered by profits, at least they are affordable from a cash perspective. Still, if this were to happen repeatedly, we'd be concerned about whether the dividend is sustainable in a downturn.
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 earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Fuller Smith & Turner's earnings per share have dropped 28% a year over the past five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend.
We'd also point out that Fuller Smith & Turner issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend while issuing large amounts of new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past 10 years, Fuller Smith & Turner has increased its dividend at approximately 2.0% a year on average. 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. Fuller Smith & Turner is already paying out a high percentage of its income, so without earnings growth, we're doubtful of whether this dividend will grow much in the future.
The Bottom Line
Is Fuller Smith & Turner an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's never great to see earnings per share declining, especially when a company is paying out 98% of its profit as dividends, which we feel is uncomfortably high. Yet cashflow was much stronger, which makes us wonder if there are some large timing issues in Fuller Smith & Turner's cash flows, or perhaps the company has written down some assets aggressively, reducing its income. With the way things are shaping up from a dividend perspective, we'd be inclined to steer clear of Fuller Smith & Turner.
Although, if you're still interested in Fuller Smith & Turner and want to know more, you'll find it very useful to know what risks this stock faces. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Fuller Smith & Turner and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
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.
