Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ:SWKS) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming Dividend

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. Investors can purchase shares before the 12th of February in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 9th of March.

Skyworks Solutions's upcoming dividend is US$0.50 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$2.00 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Skyworks Solutions has a trailing yield of approximately 1.1% on its current stock price of $178.95. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Skyworks Solutions

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. Fortunately Skyworks Solutions's payout ratio is modest, at just 29% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Skyworks Solutions generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 36% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.

It's positive to see that Skyworks Solutions'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. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. This is why it's a relief to see Skyworks Solutions earnings per share are up 8.6% per annum over the last five years. The company is retaining more than half of its earnings within the business, and it has been growing earnings at a decent rate. We think this is generally an attractive combination, as dividends can grow through a combination of earnings growth and or a higher payout ratio over time.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past seven years, Skyworks Solutions has increased its dividend at approximately 24% a year on average. 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

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Skyworks Solutions? Earnings per share have been growing moderately, and Skyworks Solutions is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends, which is an attractive combination as it suggests the company is investing in growth. We would prefer to see earnings growing faster, but the best dividend stocks over the long term typically combine significant earnings per share growth with a low payout ratio, and Skyworks Solutions is halfway there. There's a lot to like about Skyworks Solutions, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

Wondering what the future holds for Skyworks Solutions? See what the 23 analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow

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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