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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 Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Accordingly, Steel Dynamics investors that purchase the stock on or after the 29th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of October.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.34 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.36 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Steel Dynamics has a trailing yield of 1.9% on the current stock price of $70.19. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether Steel Dynamics has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
View our latest analysis for Steel Dynamics
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. Steel Dynamics is paying out just 5.3% of its profit after tax, which is comfortably low and leaves plenty of breathing room in the case of adverse events. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Steel Dynamics generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 9.1% of its free cash flow last year.
It's positive to see that Steel Dynamics'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 earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. It's encouraging to see Steel Dynamics has grown its earnings rapidly, up 73% a year for the past five years. Steel Dynamics earnings per share have been sprinting ahead like the Road Runner at a track and field day; scarcely stopping even for a cheeky "beep-beep". We also like that it is reinvesting most of its profits in its business.'