Mueller Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MLI) Looks Interesting, And It's About To Pay A Dividend

Mueller Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MLI) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 3rd of September, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 18th of September.

Mueller Industries'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. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Mueller Industries stock has a trailing yield of around 1.3% on the current share price of $30.5. 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! We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

View our latest analysis for Mueller Industries

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Mueller Industries paid out just 19% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. It paid out 9.3% 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 how much of its profit Mueller Industries paid out over the last 12 months.

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 Mueller Industries earnings per share are up 3.1% per annum over the last five years. Mueller Industries is retaining more than three-quarters of its earnings and has a history of generating some growth in earnings. We think this is a reasonable combination.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Mueller Industries has lifted its dividend by approximately 7.2% 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.

The Bottom Line

Is Mueller Industries an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Earnings per share growth has been growing somewhat, and Mueller Industries is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends. This is interesting for a few reasons, as it suggests management may be reinvesting heavily in the business, but it also provides room to increase the dividend in time. 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 Mueller Industries is halfway there. There's a lot to like about Mueller Industries, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Mueller Industries is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Mueller Industries 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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