Why You Might Be Interested In Allterco AD (BUL:A4L) For Its Upcoming Dividend

Readers hoping to buy Allterco AD (BUL:A4L) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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 an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Thus, you can purchase Allterco AD's shares before the 9th of July in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 1st of January.

The company's next dividend payment will be лв0.20 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of лв0.20 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Allterco AD has a trailing yield of approximately 1.2% on its current stock price of BGN16.9. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for Allterco AD

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. Allterco AD paid out just 21% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. 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 paid out 4.8% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low.

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 how much of its profit Allterco AD paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. It's encouraging to see Allterco AD has grown its earnings rapidly, up 79% a year for the past five years. Allterco AD earnings per share have been sprinting ahead like the Road Runner at a track and field day; scarcely stopping even for a cheeky "beep-beep". We also like that it is reinvesting most of its profits in its business.'

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past two years, Allterco AD has increased its dividend at approximately 5.4% a year on average. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Allterco AD is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business.

Final Takeaway

Has Allterco AD got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Allterco AD has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past two years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Allterco AD is facing. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Allterco AD (1 is potentially serious) you should be aware of.

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.

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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.
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