Why You Might Be Interested In Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) For Its Upcoming Dividend

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 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 an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Meaning, you will need to purchase Applied Materials' shares before the 21st of August to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 11th of September.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.46 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.84 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Applied Materials has a trailing yield of 1.1% on the current share price of US$161.755. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! As a result, readers should always check whether Applied Materials has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

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Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Applied Materials paid out just 20% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Applied Materials generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 23% of its free cash flow in the last year.

It's positive to see that Applied Materials'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.

View our latest analysis for Applied Materials

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. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. It's encouraging to see Applied Materials has grown its earnings rapidly, up 24% a year for the past five years. Applied Materials looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Applied Materials has delivered 16% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.

To Sum It Up

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Applied Materials? We love that Applied Materials is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Applied Materials looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.

Curious what other investors think of Applied Materials? See what analysts are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow.

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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.