Swiss Life Holding AG (VTX:SLHN) Will Pay A CHF25.00 Dividend In Three Days

Swiss Life Holding AG (VTX:SLHN) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 3 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. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Thus, you can purchase Swiss Life Holding's shares before the 26th of April in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 28th of April.

The company's next dividend payment will be CHF25.00 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of CHF25.00 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Swiss Life Holding has a trailing yield of 4.0% on the current share price of CHF624.8. 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 Swiss Life Holding has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

View our latest analysis for Swiss Life Holding

Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Swiss Life Holding paid out more than half (62%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies.

Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

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. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Swiss Life Holding, with earnings per share up 6.5% on average over the last five years.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Swiss Life Holding has delivered 19% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.

The Bottom Line

Is Swiss Life Holding an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Swiss Life Holding has been generating some growth in earnings per share while paying out more than half of its earnings to shareholders in the form of dividends. It might be worth researching if the company is reinvesting in growth projects that could grow earnings and dividends in the future, but for now we're on the fence about its dividend prospects.

With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Swiss Life Holding, you should know about the other risks facing this business. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Swiss Life Holding 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.