It Might Not Be A Great Idea To Buy ADM Hamburg Aktiengesellschaft (FRA:OEL) For Its Next Dividend

It looks like ADM Hamburg Aktiengesellschaft (FRA:OEL) is about to go ex-dividend in the next three days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. This means that investors who purchase ADM Hamburg's shares on or after the 20th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 24th of August.

The company's next dividend payment will be €13.58 per share. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether ADM Hamburg's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

See our latest analysis for ADM Hamburg

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. ADM Hamburg reported a loss after tax last year, which means it's paying a dividend despite being unprofitable. While this might be a one-off event, this is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term.

Click here to see how much of its profit ADM Hamburg paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. ADM Hamburg was unprofitable last year and, unfortunately, the general trend suggests its earnings have been in decline over the last five years, making us wonder if the dividend is sustainable at all.

This is ADM Hamburg's first year of paying a dividend, which is exciting for shareholders - but it does mean there's no dividend history to examine.

Remember, you can always get a snapshot of ADM Hamburg's financial health, by checking our visualisation of its financial health, here.

To Sum It Up

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid ADM Hamburg? These characteristics don't generally lead to outstanding dividend performance, and investors may not be happy with the results of owning this stock for its dividend.

With that in mind though, if the poor dividend characteristics of ADM Hamburg don't faze you, it's worth being mindful of the risks involved with this business. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for ADM Hamburg (1 is potentially serious) you should be aware of.

A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising 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. 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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