Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 2.9% 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 Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. 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. Thus, you can purchase Genuine Parts' shares before the 3rd of March in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 1st of April.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.90 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$3.58 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that Genuine Parts has a trailing yield of 2.9% on the current share price of $123.46. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether Genuine Parts can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

View our latest analysis for Genuine Parts

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. Genuine Parts paid out 52% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Genuine Parts generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Fortunately, it paid out only 47% of its free cash flow in the past year.

It's positive to see that Genuine Parts'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.

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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Genuine Parts, with earnings per share up 6.5% on average over the last five years. While earnings have been growing at a credible rate, the company is paying out a majority of its earnings to shareholders. Therefore it's unlikely that the company will be able to reinvest heavily in its business, which could presage slower growth in the future.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Genuine Parts has delivered an average of 7.1% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

To Sum It Up

Is Genuine Parts worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share growth has been modest and Genuine Parts paid out over half of its profits and less than half of its free cash flow, although both payout ratios are within normal limits. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there.

So while Genuine Parts looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Genuine Parts you should know about.

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield 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.