Do These 3 Checks Before Buying Elisa Oyj (HEL:ELISA) For Its Upcoming Dividend
It looks like Elisa Oyj (HEL:ELISA) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 4 days. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 3rd of April will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of April.
Elisa Oyj's next dividend payment will be €1.85 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of €1.85 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Elisa Oyj has a trailing yield of 3.4% on the current share price of €53.94. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.
See our latest analysis for Elisa Oyj
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. Last year, Elisa Oyj paid out 98% of its income as dividends, which is above a level that we're comfortable with, especially if the company needs to reinvest in its business. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Over the last year, it paid out more than three-quarters (87%) of its free cash flow generated, which is fairly high and may be starting to limit reinvestment in the business.
It's good to see that while Elisa Oyj's dividends were not well covered by profits, at least they are affordable from a cash perspective. Still, if the company continues paying out such a high percentage of its profits, the dividend could be at risk if business turns sour.
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. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Elisa Oyj, with earnings per share up 6.1% on average over the last five years.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past ten years, Elisa Oyj has increased its dividend at approximately 7.2% a year on average. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.
Final Takeaway
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Elisa Oyj? While earnings per share have been growing slowly, Elisa Oyj is paying out an uncomfortably high percentage of its earnings. However it did pay out a lower percentage of its cashflow. Bottom line: Elisa Oyj has some unfortunate characteristics that we think could lead to sub-optimal outcomes for dividend investors.
With that being said, if you're still considering Elisa Oyj as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Elisa Oyj (1 is potentially serious) you should be aware of.
If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
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