Only 2 Days Left Before Dunkin' Brands Group Inc (NASDAQ:DNKN) Will Start Trading Ex-Dividend, Should You Buy?

If you are interested in cashing in on Dunkin' Brands Group Inc's (NASDAQ:DNKN) upcoming dividend of US$0.35 per share, you only have 2 days left to buy the shares before its ex-dividend date, 24 August 2018, in time for dividends payable on the 05 September 2018. Is this future income stream a compelling catalyst for dividend investors to think about the stock as an investment today? Let's take a look at Dunkin' Brands Group's most recent financial data to examine its dividend characteristics in more detail.

Check out our latest analysis for Dunkin' Brands Group

5 checks you should use to assess a dividend stock

Whenever I am looking at a potential dividend stock investment, I always check these five metrics:

• Is it the top 25% annual dividend yield payer?
• Does it consistently pay out dividends without missing a payment of significantly cutting payout?
• Has it increased its dividend per share amount over the past?
• Is is able to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?
• Will it be able to continue to payout at the current rate in the future?

Does Dunkin' Brands Group pass our checks?

The current trailing twelve-month payout ratio for the stock is 31.89%, which means that the dividend is covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a higher payout ratio of 50.11%, leading to a dividend yield of around 2.09%. However, EPS is forecasted to fall to $2.71 in the upcoming year. Therefore, although payout is expected to increase, the fall in earnings may not equate to higher dividend income.

If there is one thing that you want to be reliable in your life, it's dividend stocks and their constant income stream. Unfortunately, it is really too early to view Dunkin' Brands Group as a dividend investment. It has only been consistently paying dividends for 6 years, however, standard practice for reliable payers is to look for a 10-year minimum track record.

Relative to peers, Dunkin' Brands Group produces a yield of 1.92%, which is on the low-side for Hospitality stocks.

Next Steps:

If you are building an income portfolio, then Dunkin' Brands Group is a complicated choice since it has some positive aspects as well as negative ones. However, if you are not strictly just a dividend investor, the stock could still offer some interesting investment opportunities. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the company's fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. I've put together three essential aspects you should look at:

1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for DNKN’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for DNKN’s outlook.
2. Valuation: What is DNKN worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it's not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether DNKN is currently mispriced by the market.
3. Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.

To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.

The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

Simply Wall St analyst Simply Wall St and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article 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.