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U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next three days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. This means that investors who purchase U.S. Physical Therapy's shares on or after the 13th of May will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of June.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.41 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$1.64 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, U.S. Physical Therapy has a trailing yield of approximately 1.6% on its current stock price of $102.07. 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! We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.
See our latest analysis for U.S. Physical Therapy
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. U.S. Physical Therapy is paying out an acceptable 53% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether U.S. Physical Therapy generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 31% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
It's positive to see that U.S. Physical Therapy'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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. For this reason, we're glad to see U.S. Physical Therapy's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years. U.S. Physical Therapy is paying out a bit over half its earnings, which suggests the company is striking a balance between reinvesting in growth, and paying dividends. 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.