Is It Smart To Buy Quick Heal Technologies Limited (NSE:QUICKHEAL) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend?

Readers hoping to buy Quick Heal Technologies Limited (NSE:QUICKHEAL) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. This means that investors who purchase Quick Heal Technologies' shares on or after the 29th of July will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 5th of September.

The company's upcoming dividend is ₹4.00 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of ₹4.00 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Quick Heal Technologies has a trailing yield of approximately 1.4% on its current stock price of ₹291.75. 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! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for Quick Heal Technologies

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Quick Heal Technologies has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 24% of its income after tax.

Click here to see how much of its profit Quick Heal Technologies paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. For this reason, we're glad to see Quick Heal Technologies's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years. Earnings per share are growing rapidly and the company is keeping more than half of its earnings within the business; an attractive combination which could suggest the company is focused on reinvesting to grow earnings further. 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.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the past five years, Quick Heal Technologies has increased its dividend at approximately 9.9% a year on average. 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.

Final Takeaway

Should investors buy Quick Heal Technologies for the upcoming dividend? When companies are growing rapidly and retaining a majority of the profits within the business, it's usually a sign that reinvesting earnings creates more value than paying dividends to shareholders. This strategy can add significant value to shareholders over the long term - as long as it's done without issuing too many new shares. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating Quick Heal Technologies more closely.

While it's tempting to invest in Quick Heal Technologies for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Quick Heal Technologies and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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. 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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