AdvanSix Inc. (NYSE:ASIX) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 3 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 important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase AdvanSix's shares before the 15th of August in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of August.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.14 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.58 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that AdvanSix has a trailing yield of 1.5% on the current share price of $39.06. 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! As a result, readers should always check whether AdvanSix has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

Check out our latest analysis for AdvanSix

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. AdvanSix is paying out just 7.5% of its profit after tax, which is comfortably low and leaves plenty of breathing room in the case of adverse events. 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. The good news is it paid out just 5.7% of its free cash flow in the last year.

It's positive to see that AdvanSix'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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. It's encouraging to see AdvanSix has grown its earnings rapidly, up 44% a year for the past five years. AdvanSix looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business.

Given that AdvanSix has only been paying a dividend for a year, there's not much of a past history to draw insight from.

To Sum It Up

Is AdvanSix an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We love that AdvanSix is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research.

Curious what other investors think of AdvanSix? See what analysts are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow.

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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