Golan Plastic Products Ltd. (TLV:GLPL) Looks Like A Good Stock, And It's Going Ex-Dividend Soon

Readers hoping to buy Golan Plastic Products Ltd. (TLV:GLPL) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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. 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. This means that investors who purchase Golan Plastic Products' shares on or after the 1st of December will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 16th of December.

The upcoming dividend for Golan Plastic Products will put a total of ₪0.53 per share in shareholders' pockets, up from last year's total dividends of ₪0.41. 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! So we need to investigate whether Golan Plastic Products can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

View our latest analysis for Golan Plastic Products

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Golan Plastic Products paid out a comfortable 37% of its profit last year. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. Over the last year it paid out 53% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.

It's positive to see that Golan Plastic Products'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 how much of its profit Golan Plastic Products paid out over the last 12 months.

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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. For this reason, we're glad to see Golan Plastic Products's earnings per share have risen 19% per annum over the last five years. Golan Plastic Products is paying out a bit over half its earnings, which suggests the company is striking a balance between reinvesting in growth, and paying dividends. Given the quick rate of earnings per share growth and current level of payout, there may be a chance of further dividend increases in the future.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the past eight years, Golan Plastic Products has increased its dividend at approximately 11% a year on average. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.

To Sum It Up

Should investors buy Golan Plastic Products for the upcoming dividend? Earnings per share have grown at a nice rate in recent times and over the last year, Golan Plastic Products paid out less than half its earnings and a bit over half its free cash flow. There's a lot to like about Golan Plastic Products, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Golan Plastic Products that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.

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.

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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