Only Two Days Left To Cash In On Loomis' (STO:LOOMIS) Dividend

Loomis AB (publ) (STO:LOOMIS) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 2 days. You will need to purchase shares before the 7th of May to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of May.

The upcoming dividend for Loomis is kr6.00 per share, increased from last year's total dividends per share of kr5.50. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Loomis's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Loomis can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

Check out our latest analysis for Loomis

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Loomis paid out more than half (63%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. 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. It paid out 21% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low.

It's positive to see that Loomis'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?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Loomis's earnings per share have dropped 7.7% a year over the past five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Loomis has delivered 5.5% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. Growing the dividend payout ratio while earnings are declining can deliver nice returns for a while, but it's always worth checking for when the company can't increase the payout ratio any more - because then the music stops.

Final Takeaway

Is Loomis an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We're not enthused by the declining earnings per share, although at least the company's payout ratio is within a reasonable range, meaning it may not be at imminent risk of a dividend cut. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there.

If you want to look further into Loomis, it's worth knowing the risks this business faces. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 6 warning signs for Loomis you should know about.

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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