It looks like Cogeco Inc. (TSE:CGO) is about to go ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the 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 Cogeco's shares on or after the 14th of November will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 29th of November.

The company's next dividend payment will be CA$0.85 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CA$2.92 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Cogeco has a trailing yield of 7.3% on the current stock price of CA$46.51. 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 Cogeco

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Cogeco is paying out an acceptable 64% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Cogeco generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 44% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.

It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.

Click here to see how much of its profit Cogeco paid out over the last 12 months. historic-dividend

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. With that in mind, we're discomforted by Cogeco's 13% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.



Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Cogeco has lifted its dividend by approximately 16% a year on average. That's interesting, but the combination of a growing dividend despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out more of the company's profits. This can be valuable for shareholders, but it can't go on forever.

The Bottom Line

Should investors buy Cogeco for the upcoming dividend? We're not enthused by the declining earnings per share, although at least the company's payout ratio is within a reasonable range, meaning it may not be at imminent risk of a dividend cut. To summarise, Cogeco looks okay on this analysis, although it doesn't appear a stand-out opportunity.

So if you want to do more digging on Cogeco, you'll find it worthwhile knowing the risks that this stock faces. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for Cogeco that we strongly recommend you have a look at before investing in the company.

Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.

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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.