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Only 3 Days Left To Cash In On SSAB AB (publ)'s (STO:SSAB A) Dividend

SSAB AB (publ) (STO:SSAB A) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 3 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 2nd of April will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 8th of April.

SSAB's next dividend payment will be kr0.75 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of kr0.75 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, SSAB has a trailing yield of approximately 3.3% on its current stock price of SEK22.86. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for SSAB

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. SSAB is paying out an acceptable 72% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. 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. Over the last year it paid out 64% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.

It's positive to see that SSAB'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.

OM:SSAB A Historical Dividend Yield March 29th 2020
OM:SSAB A Historical Dividend Yield March 29th 2020

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. It's encouraging to see SSAB has grown its earnings rapidly, up 59% a year for the past five years. The current payout ratio suggests a good balance between rewarding shareholders with dividends, and reinvesting in growth. With a reasonable payout ratio, profits being reinvested, and some earnings growth, SSAB could have strong prospects for future increases to the dividend.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. SSAB's dividend payments per share have declined at 15% per year on average over the past ten years, which is uninspiring. SSAB is a rare case where dividends have been decreasing at the same time as earnings per share have been improving. It's unusual to see, and could point to unstable conditions in the core business, or more rarely an intensified focus on reinvesting profits.

The Bottom Line

Is SSAB an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Higher earnings per share generally lead to higher dividends from dividend-paying stocks over the long run. However, we'd also note that SSAB is paying out more than half of its earnings and cash flow as profits, which could limit the dividend growth if earnings growth slows. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for SSAB you should be aware of.

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.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.