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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 PetMed Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:PETS) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 29th of January will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 12th of February.
PetMed Express's upcoming dividend is US$0.28 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.12 per share to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that PetMed Express has a trailing yield of 3.6% on the current share price of $30.87. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! So we need to investigate whether PetMed Express can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
View our latest analysis for PetMed Express
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. PetMed Express is paying out an acceptable 72% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. 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 61% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.
It's positive to see that PetMed Express'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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. For this reason, we're glad to see PetMed Express's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years. PetMed Express has an average payout ratio which suggests a balance between growing earnings and rewarding shareholders. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future.