Comfort Systems USA, Inc. (NYSE:FIX) Passed Our Checks, And It's About To Pay A US$0.11 Dividend
Readers hoping to buy Comfort Systems USA, Inc. (NYSE:FIX) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 6th of November will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 20th of November.
Comfort Systems USA's next dividend payment will be US$0.11 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.42 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Comfort Systems USA has a trailing yield of 0.9% on the current stock price of $45.8. 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! So we need to investigate whether Comfort Systems USA can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
Check out our latest analysis for Comfort Systems USA
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comfort Systems USA is paying out just 11% of its profit after tax, which is comfortably low and leaves plenty of breathing room in the case of adverse events. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Comfort Systems USA generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It paid out 6.6% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low.
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 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 Comfort Systems USA has grown its earnings rapidly, up 44% a year for the past five years. With earnings per share growing rapidly and the company sensibly reinvesting almost all of its profits within the business, Comfort Systems USA looks like a promising growth company.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Comfort Systems USA has delivered an average of 7.7% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.
The Bottom Line
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Comfort Systems USA? Comfort Systems USA has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. There's a lot to like about Comfort Systems USA, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
In light of that, while Comfort Systems USA has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Comfort Systems USA (1 is significant) you should be aware of.
We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
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. 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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