Yahoo Finance Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) Goes Ex-Dividend Soon
It looks like Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) is about to go 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. This means that investors who purchase Nathan's Famous' shares on or after the 24th of June will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 2nd of July.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.50 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$2.00 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Nathan's Famous has a trailing yield of 3.0% on the current share price of US$67.65. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Nathan's Famous's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
View our latest analysis for Nathan's Famous
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. Nathan's Famous paid out a comfortable 42% of its profit last year. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Nathan's Famous generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 41% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.
It's positive to see that Nathan's Famous's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.
Click here to see how much of its profit Nathan's Famous paid out over the last 12 months.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Stocks with flat earnings can still be attractive dividend payers, but it is important to be more conservative with your approach and demand a greater margin for safety when it comes to dividend sustainability. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're not enthused to see that Nathan's Famous's earnings per share have remained effectively flat over the past five years. It's better than seeing them drop, certainly, but over the long term, all of the best dividend stocks are able to meaningfully grow their earnings per share.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last six years, Nathan's Famous has lifted its dividend by approximately 12% a year on average.
Final Takeaway
Is Nathan's Famous worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share have been flat, although at least the company is paying out a low and conservative percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's definitely not great to see earnings falling, but at least there may be some buffer before the dividend gets cut. To summarise, Nathan's Famous looks okay on this analysis, although it doesn't appear a stand-out opportunity.
In light of that, while Nathan's Famous has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with Nathan's Famous 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.
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