WSP Global Inc. (TSE:WSP) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 1.2% Yield

WSP Global Inc. (TSE:WSP) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 30th of March will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of April.

WSP Global's next dividend payment will be CA$0.38 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CA$1.50 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, WSP Global stock has a trailing yield of around 1.2% on the current share price of CA$120.61. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for WSP Global

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. WSP Global paid out 60% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 8.6% of its cash flow last year.

It's positive to see that WSP Global'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 the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at WSP Global, with earnings per share up 4.2% on average over the last five years. Earnings growth has been slim and the company is paying out more than half of its earnings. While there is some room to both increase the payout ratio and reinvest in the business, generally the higher a payout ratio goes, the lower a company's prospects for future growth.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. WSP Global's dividend payments are broadly unchanged compared to where they were 10 years ago.

Final Takeaway

Is WSP Global an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? While earnings per share growth has been modest, WSP Global's dividend payouts are around an average level; without a sharp change in earnings we feel that the dividend is likely somewhat sustainable. Pleasingly the company paid out a conservatively low percentage of its free cash flow. While it does have some good things going for it, we're a bit ambivalent and it would take more to convince us of WSP Global's dividend merits.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks WSP Global is facing. For example, we've found 1 warning sign for WSP Global that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.

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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