Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPSI) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 1.4% Yield
Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPSI) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 3 days. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 14th of August will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 31st of August.
Computer Programs and Systems's next dividend payment will be US$0.10 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.40 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Computer Programs and Systems has a trailing yield of 1.4% on the current share price of $28.27. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Computer Programs and Systems'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.
See our latest analysis for Computer Programs and Systems
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Computer Programs and Systems's payout ratio is modest, at just 27% of profit. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. It paid out 13% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low.
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?
Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Computer Programs and Systems's earnings per share have dropped 13% a year over the past five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Computer Programs and Systems has seen its dividend decline 12% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. While it's not great that earnings and dividends per share have fallen in recent years, we're encouraged by the fact that management has trimmed the dividend rather than risk over-committing the company in a risky attempt to maintain yields to shareholders.
To Sum It Up
Is Computer Programs and Systems worth buying for its dividend? Computer Programs and Systems has comfortably low cash and profit payout ratios, which may mean the dividend is sustainable even in the face of a sharp decline in earnings per share. Still, we consider declining earnings to be a warning sign. All things considered, we are not particularly enthused about Computer Programs and Systems from a dividend perspective.
While it's tempting to invest in Computer Programs and Systems for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 5 warning signs with Computer Programs and Systems and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
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.
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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