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Readers hoping to buy Games Workshop Group PLC (LON:GAW) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. 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. Thus, you can purchase Games Workshop Group's shares before the 5th of August in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 13th of September.
The company's next dividend payment will be UK£0.40 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of UK£1.85 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Games Workshop Group has a trailing yield of 1.6% on the current share price of £113.7. 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! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
View our latest analysis for Games Workshop Group
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. That's why it's good to see Games Workshop Group paying out a modest 50% of its earnings. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. It paid out more than half (59%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies.
It's positive to see that Games Workshop Group'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?
Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. It's encouraging to see Games Workshop Group has grown its earnings rapidly, up 55% a year for the past five years.