Read This Before Considering Decisive Dividend Corporation (CVE:DE) For Its Upcoming CA$0.02 Dividend

Decisive Dividend Corporation (CVE:DE) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 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 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. In other words, investors can purchase Decisive Dividend's shares before the 29th of July in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 13th of August.

The company's next dividend payment will be CA$0.02 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CA$0.24 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Decisive Dividend has a trailing yield of 6.5% on the current stock price of CA$3.67. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Decisive Dividend

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. Decisive Dividend paid out more than half (55%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Decisive Dividend generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 2.8% of its free cash flow last year.

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 Decisive Dividend paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Decisive Dividend's earnings per share have dropped 14% a year over the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Decisive Dividend's dividend payments are broadly unchanged compared to where they were six years ago. If a company's dividend stays flat while earnings are in decline, this is typically a sign that it is paying out a larger percentage of its earnings. This can become unsustainable if earnings fall far enough.

Final Takeaway

Should investors buy Decisive Dividend for the upcoming dividend? The payout ratios are within a reasonable range, implying the dividend may be sustainable. Declining earnings are a serious concern, however, and could pose a threat to the dividend in future. All things considered, we are not particularly enthused about Decisive Dividend from a dividend perspective.

With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Decisive Dividend, you should know about the other risks facing this business. Our analysis shows 5 warning signs for Decisive Dividend that we strongly recommend you have a look at before investing in the company.

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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