There's A Lot To Like About CMC Materials' (NASDAQ:CCMP) Upcoming US$0.46 Dividend

CMC Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:CCMP) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 22nd of March, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 23rd of April.

CMC Materials's next dividend payment will be US$0.46 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$1.76 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, CMC Materials has a trailing yield of 1.0% on the current stock price of $180.76. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether CMC Materials's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

View our latest analysis for CMC Materials

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. Fortunately CMC Materials's payout ratio is modest, at just 38% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether CMC Materials generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 28% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.

It's positive to see that CMC 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.

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. Fortunately for readers, CMC Materials's earnings per share have been growing at 15% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing rapidly and the company is retaining a majority of its earnings within the business. Fast-growing businesses that are reinvesting heavily are enticing from a dividend perspective, especially since they can often increase the payout ratio later.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. CMC Materials has delivered an average of 21% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past five years of dividend payments. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.

Final Takeaway

Is CMC Materials an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We love that CMC 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. There's a lot to like about CMC Materials, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

In light of that, while CMC Materials has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for CMC Materials you should know about.

A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising 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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