Here's Why We're Wary Of Buying Shaw Communications' (TSE:SJR.B) For Its Upcoming Dividend
Readers hoping to buy Shaw Communications Inc. (TSE:SJR.B) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 12th of November will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 27th of November.
Shaw Communications’s next dividend payment will be CA$0.099 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CA$1.19 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Shaw Communications has a trailing yield of approximately 5.3% on its current stock price of CA$22.5. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That’s why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Shaw Communications
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable – hardly an ideal situation. It paid out 90% 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. It could become a concern if earnings started to decline. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Shaw Communications generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It paid out 76% of its free cash flow as dividends, which is within usual limits but will limit the company’s ability to lift the dividend if there’s no growth.
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?
Companies that aren’t growing their earnings can still be valuable, but it is even more important to assess the sustainability of the dividend if it looks like the company will struggle to grow. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. With that in mind, we’re not enthused to see that Shaw Communications’s earnings per share have remained effectively flat over the past five years. Better than seeing them fall off a cliff, for sure, but the best dividend stocks grow their earnings meaningfully over the long run.
Many investors will assess a company’s dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past 10 years, Shaw Communications has increased its dividend at approximately 3.0% a year on average.
To Sum It Up
Is Shaw Communications an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? While earnings per share are flat, at least Shaw Communications has not committed itself to an unsustainable dividend, with its earnings and cashflow payout ratios within reasonable bounds. It’s not an attractive combination from a dividend perspective, and we’re inclined to pass on this one for the time being.
Having said that, if you’re looking at this stock without much concern for the dividend, you should still be familiar of the risks involved with Shaw Communications. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Shaw Communications and you should be aware of these before buying any shares.
If you’re in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top 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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