Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 4.1% Yield

Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. 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 Global Industrial's shares on or after the 12th of May will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 19th of May.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.26 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$1.04 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Global Industrial has a trailing yield of approximately 4.1% on its current stock price of US$25.38. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

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Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Global Industrial is paying out an acceptable 64% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Global Industrial generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It paid out 86% of its free cash flow as dividends, which is within usual limits but will limit the company's ability to lift the dividend if there's no growth.

It's positive to see that Global Industrial'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.

See our latest analysis for Global Industrial

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. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Global Industrial, with earnings per share up 3.6% on average over the last five years. A payout ratio of 64% looks like a tacit signal from management that reinvestment opportunities in the business are low. In line with limited earnings growth in recent years, this is not the most appealing combination.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Global Industrial has delivered an average of 20% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past nine years of dividend payments. 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.

To Sum It Up

Has Global Industrial got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Earnings per share have been growing modestly and Global Industrial paid out a bit over half of its earnings and free cash flow last year. In summary, while it has some positive characteristics, we're not inclined to race out and buy Global Industrial today.

Ever wonder what the future holds for Global Industrial? See what the two analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.

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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.