Is It Smart To Buy Shoe Carnival, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCVL) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend?

Readers hoping to buy Shoe Carnival, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCVL) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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 important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. This means that investors who purchase Shoe Carnival's shares on or after the 1st of October will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of October.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.07 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.28 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Shoe Carnival has a trailing yield of 0.8% on the current share price of $33.65. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Shoe Carnival has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

View our latest analysis for Shoe Carnival

Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Shoe Carnival has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 5.9% of its income after tax. 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. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 6.6% of its cash flow last year.

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. It's encouraging to see Shoe Carnival has grown its earnings rapidly, up 40% a year for the past five years. Shoe Carnival earnings per share have been sprinting ahead like the Road Runner at a track and field day; scarcely stopping even for a cheeky "beep-beep". We also like that it is reinvesting most of its profits in its business.'

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Shoe Carnival has delivered an average of 12% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past nine years of dividend payments. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.

Final Takeaway

Has Shoe Carnival got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Shoe Carnival has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.

In light of that, while Shoe Carnival has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Shoe Carnival that we strongly recommend you have a look at before investing in the company.

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

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.

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