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It looks like F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. (NYSE:FG) is about to go ex-dividend in the next three days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Meaning, you will need to purchase F&G Annuities & Life's shares before the 14th of September to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 29th of September.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.20 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.80 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, F&G Annuities & Life has a trailing yield of 3.0% on the current stock price of $26.9. 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 F&G Annuities & Life
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. F&G Annuities & Life lost money last year, so the fact that it's paying a dividend is certainly disconcerting. There might be a good reason for this, but we'd want to look into it further before getting comfortable.
Click here to see how much of its profit F&G Annuities & Life 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 earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. F&G Annuities & Life reported a loss last year, but at least the general trend suggests its income has been improving over the past five years. Even so, an unprofitable company whose business does not quickly recover is usually not a good candidate for dividend investors.
Given that F&G Annuities & Life has only been paying a dividend for a year, there's not much of a past history to draw insight from.
Get our latest analysis on F&G Annuities & Life's balance sheet health here.
The Bottom Line
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid F&G Annuities & Life? We're uncomfortable with the fact that F&G Annuities & Life paid a dividend while being loss-making. We think there are likely better opportunities out there.