4 Days Left Until Peak Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:SKIS) Trades Ex-Dividend
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Readers hoping to buy Peak Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:SKIS) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 24th of July will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 9th of August.
Peak Resorts's next dividend payment will be US$0.07 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.28 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Peak Resorts has a trailing yield of 5.5% on the current share price of $5.095. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
View our latest analysis for Peak Resorts
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Peak Resorts is paying out an acceptable 62% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Peak Resorts generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Over the past year it paid out 140% of its free cash flow as dividends, which is uncomfortably high. We're curious about why the company paid out more cash than it generated last year, since this can be one of the early signs that a dividend may be unsustainable.
Peak Resorts paid out less in dividends than it reported in profits, but unfortunately it didn't generate enough cash to cover the dividend. Cash is king, as they say, and were Peak Resorts to repeatedly pay dividends that aren't well covered by cashflow, we would consider this a warning sign.
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. It's encouraging to see Peak Resorts has grown its earnings rapidly, up 33% a year for the past five years. Earnings have been growing quickly, but we're concerned dividend payments consumed most of the company's cash flow over the past year.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Peak Resorts's dividend payments per share have declined at 13% per year on average over the past 5 years, which is uninspiring. It's unusual to see earnings per share increasing at the same time as dividends per share have been in decline. We'd hope it's because the company is reinvesting heavily in its business, but it could also suggest business is lumpy.
Final Takeaway
Should investors buy Peak Resorts for the upcoming dividend? Earnings per share growth is a positive, and the company's payout ratio looks normal. However, we note Peak Resorts paid out a much higher percentage of its free cash flow, which makes us uncomfortable. In summary, while it has some positive characteristics, we're not inclined to race out and buy Peak Resorts today.
Curious what other investors think of Peak Resorts? See what analysts are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow .
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.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
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. Thank you for reading.
