E. Schnapp Works (TLV:SHNP) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming Dividend

E. Schnapp & Co. Works Ltd (TLV:SHNP) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 2 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 important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Thus, you can purchase E. Schnapp Works' shares before the 1st of September in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 13th of September.

The company's next dividend payment will be ₪0.39 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed ₪1.18 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, E. Schnapp Works has a trailing yield of 6.0% on the current stock price of ₪19.82. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether E. Schnapp Works's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether E. Schnapp Works can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

View our latest analysis for E. Schnapp Works

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. That's why it's good to see E. Schnapp Works paying out a modest 49% of its earnings. 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. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 25% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.

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 E. Schnapp Works 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. 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 E. Schnapp Works, with earnings per share up 5.8% on average over the last five years. The company is retaining more than half of its earnings within the business, and it has been growing earnings at a decent rate. We think this is generally an attractive combination, as dividends can grow through a combination of earnings growth and or a higher payout ratio over time.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. E. Schnapp Works has delivered an average of 6.3% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

The Bottom Line

Is E. Schnapp Works worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share have been growing moderately, and E. Schnapp Works is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends, which is an attractive combination as it suggests the company is investing in growth. It might be nice to see earnings growing faster, but E. Schnapp Works is being conservative with its dividend payouts and could still perform reasonably over the long run. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.

In light of that, while E. Schnapp Works has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Be aware that E. Schnapp Works is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is potentially serious...

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top 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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