Sundram Fasteners Limited (NSE:SUNDRMFAST) Looks Like A Good Stock, And It's Going Ex-Dividend Soon

Sundram Fasteners Limited (NSE:SUNDRMFAST) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next three days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 12th of November, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 27th of November.

Sundram Fasteners's next dividend payment will be ₹1.30 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of ₹4.15 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Sundram Fasteners has a trailing yield of 0.9% on the current share price of ₹462.15. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Sundram Fasteners

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Sundram Fasteners's payout ratio is modest, at just 25% of profit. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Fortunately, it paid out only 31% of its free cash flow in the past year.

It's positive to see that Sundram Fasteners'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 the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. For this reason, we're glad to see Sundram Fasteners's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years. Earnings per share have been growing rapidly and the company is retaining a majority of its earnings within the business. This will make it easier to fund future growth efforts and we think this is an attractive combination - plus the dividend can always be increased later.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Sundram Fasteners has increased its dividend at approximately 18% a year on average. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.

The Bottom Line

Is Sundram Fasteners an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Sundram Fasteners has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past 10 years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. There's a lot to like about Sundram Fasteners, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Sundram Fasteners is facing. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Sundram Fasteners and you should be aware of it before buying any 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.

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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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