Readers hoping to buy ATOSS Software AG (ETR:AOF) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. You will need to purchase shares before the 29th of May to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 3rd of June.

ATOSS Software's next dividend payment will be €2.55 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of €2.55 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that ATOSS Software has a trailing yield of 1.4% on the current share price of €183. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

View our latest analysis for ATOSS Software

Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. ATOSS Software paid out 74% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether ATOSS Software generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 39% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.

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 ATOSS Software paid out over the last 12 months.

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 ATOSS Software's earnings per share have risen 14% per annum over the last five years. ATOSS Software has an average payout ratio which suggests a balance between growing earnings and rewarding shareholders. 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.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. ATOSS Software has delivered 18% dividend growth per year on average over the past ten years. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.