MPLX LP (NYSE:MPLX): Ex-Dividend Is In 3 Days, Should You Buy?

Shares of MPLX LP (NYSE:MPLX) will begin trading ex-dividend in 3 days. To qualify for the dividend check of $0.62 per share, investors must have owned the shares prior to 04 May 2018, which is the last day the company's management will finalize their list of shareholders to which they will send dividend payments. 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 MPLX's most recent financial data to examine its dividend characteristics in more detail. See our latest analysis for MPLX

5 questions I ask before picking a dividend stock

When assessing a stock as a potential addition to my dividend Portfolio, I look at these five areas:

• Is it paying an annual yield above 75% of dividend payers?
• Does it consistently pay out dividends without missing a payment of significantly cutting payout?
• Has the amount of dividend per share grown over the past?
• Can it afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?
• Based on future earnings growth, will it be able to continue to payout dividend at the current rate?

How does MPLX fare?

MPLX currently pays out twice what it is earning, according to its trailing twelve-month data, which suggests that the dividend is not well-covered by earnings by any means. Going forward, analysts expect MPLX's payout to fall to 141.20% of its earnings, which leads to a dividend yield of 7.90%. Furthermore, EPS should increase to $1.76, meaning that the lower payout ratio does not necessarily implicate a lower dividend payment. If dividend is a key criteria in your investment consideration, then you need to make sure the dividend stock you're eyeing out is reliable in its payments. The reality is that it is too early to consider MPLX as a dividend investment. It has only been consistently paying dividends for 5 years, however, standard practice for reliable payers is to look for a 10-year minimum track record. Relative to peers, MPLX generates a yield of 7.19%, which is high for Oil and Gas stocks.

Next Steps:

After digging a little deeper into MPLX's yield, it's easy to see why you should be cautious investing in the company just for the dividend. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, the stock could still be an interesting investment opportunity. 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 relevant aspects you should further research:

1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for MPLX’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for MPLX’s outlook.
2. Valuation: What is MPLX 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 MPLX 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.

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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.