Readers hoping to buy United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company’s record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn’t show on the record date. Therefore, if you purchase United Rentals’ shares on or after the 14th of May, you won’t be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 28th of May.
The company’s next dividend payment will be US$1.79 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$7.16 to shareholders. Calculating the last year’s worth of payments shows that United Rentals has a trailing yield of 1.1% on the current share price of US$672.40. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That’s why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable – hardly an ideal situation. United Rentals paid out just 17% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether United Rentals generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. What’s good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 21% of its cash flow last year.
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.
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. That’s why it’s comforting to see United Rentals’s earnings have been skyrocketing, up 21% per annum for the past five years. United Rentals earnings per share have been sprinting ahead like the Road Runner at a track and field day; scarcely stopping even for a cheeky “beep-beep”. We also like that it is reinvesting most of its profits in its business.’
The main way most investors will assess a company’s dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the past two years, United Rentals has increased its dividend at approximately 10.0% a year on average. 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
Is United Rentals an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We love that United Rentals 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. There’s a lot to like about United Rentals, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.
On that note, you’ll want to research what risks United Rentals is facing. To help with this, we’ve discovered 2 warning signs for United Rentals that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.