Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ:CMTL) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 2.5% Yield
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ:CMTL) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 14th of July, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 14th of August.
Comtech Telecommunications'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 Comtech Telecommunications has a trailing yield of 2.5% on the current share price of $15.87. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Comtech Telecommunications's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
See our latest analysis for Comtech Telecommunications
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. It paid out 82% of its earnings as dividends last year, which is not unreasonable, but limits reinvestment in the business and leaves the dividend vulnerable to a business downturn. We'd be concerned if earnings began to decline. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 21% of its free cash flow last year.
It's positive to see that Comtech Telecommunications'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?
Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Comtech Telecommunications's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 21% a year over the previous five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Comtech Telecommunications has seen its dividend decline 8.8% per annum on average over the past ten years, which is not great to see. It's never nice to see earnings and dividends falling, but at least management has cut the dividend rather than potentially risk the company's health in an attempt to maintain it.
The Bottom Line
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Comtech Telecommunications? The payout ratios are within a reasonable range, implying the dividend may be sustainable. Declining earnings are a serious concern, however, and could pose a threat to the dividend in future. Overall we're not hugely bearish on the stock, but there are likely better dividend investments out there.
So if you want to do more digging on Comtech Telecommunications, you'll find it worthwhile knowing the risks that this stock faces. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 5 warning signs for Comtech Telecommunications 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.
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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