Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT) Will Pay A US$0.39 Dividend In Three Days

Readers hoping to buy Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. You will need to purchase shares before the 30th of April to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 1st of June.

Sensient Technologies's next dividend payment will be US$0.39 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$1.56 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Sensient Technologies has a trailing yield of 1.8% on the current stock price of $84.95. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

View our latest analysis for Sensient Technologies

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Sensient Technologies paid out more than half (55%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Sensient Technologies generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 43% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.

It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. This is why it's a relief to see Sensient Technologies earnings per share are up 4.0% per annum over the last five years. Earnings per share growth has been slim, and the company is already paying out a majority of its earnings. While there is some room to both increase the payout ratio and reinvest in the business, generally the higher a payout ratio goes, the lower a company's prospects for future growth.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Sensient Technologies has delivered 6.9% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. 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

Is Sensient Technologies an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Earnings per share growth has been modest and Sensient Technologies paid out over half of its profits and less than half of its free cash flow, although both payout ratios are within normal limits. In summary, it's hard to get excited about Sensient Technologies from a dividend perspective.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Sensient Technologies is facing. For example - Sensient Technologies has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting 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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