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Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Life Healthcare Group Holdings Limited (JSE:LHC) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next three days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. This means that investors who purchase Life Healthcare Group Holdings' shares on or after the 13th of June will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 19th of June.
The company's upcoming dividend is R0.17 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of R0.50 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Life Healthcare Group Holdings stock has a trailing yield of around 2.5% on the current share price of ZAR19.64. 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 investigate whether Life Healthcare Group Holdings can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
Check out our latest analysis for Life Healthcare Group Holdings
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. Life Healthcare Group Holdings paid out a comfortable 41% of its profit last year. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. Over the last year it paid out 53% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range 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 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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Fortunately for readers, Life Healthcare Group Holdings's earnings per share have been growing at 10% a year for the past five years. Life Healthcare Group Holdings 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.