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Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that LCI Industries (NYSE:LCII) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 3rd of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of September.
LCI Industries's next dividend payment will be US$0.75 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$2.60 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, LCI Industries has a trailing yield of 2.5% on the current stock price of $119.38. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
Check out our latest analysis for LCI Industries
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. LCI Industries paid out more than half (61%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for 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. Fortunately, it paid out only 42% of its free cash flow in the past year.
It's positive to see that LCI Industries'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?
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. For this reason, we're glad to see LCI Industries's earnings per share have risen 10% per annum over the last five years. LCI Industries is paying out a bit over half its earnings, which suggests the company is striking a balance between reinvesting in growth, and paying dividends. Given the quick rate of earnings per share growth and current level of payout, there may be a chance of further dividend increases in the future.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. LCI Industries has delivered an average of 6.0% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past seven years of dividend payments. It's good to see both earnings and the dividend have improved - although the former has been rising much quicker than the latter, possibly due to the company reinvesting more of its profits in growth.