Is It Smart To Buy Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation (TADAWUL:1120) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend?

Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it’s exciting to see Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation (TADAWUL:1120) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next three days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company’s books to be eligible for a dividend payment. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Thus, you can purchase Al Rajhi Banking and Investment’s shares before the 1st of August in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 14th of August.

The company’s next dividend payment will be ر.س1.15 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of ر.س2.30 to shareholders. Based on the last year’s worth of payments, Al Rajhi Banking and Investment stock has a trailing yield of around 3.1% on the current share price of SAR75.4. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That’s why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for Al Rajhi Banking and Investment

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable – hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Al Rajhi Banking and Investment’s payout ratio is modest, at just 29% of profit.

When a company paid out less in dividends than it earned in profit, this generally suggests its dividend is affordable. The lower the % of its profit that it pays out, the greater the margin of safety for the dividend if the business enters a downturn.

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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Fortunately for readers, Al Rajhi Banking and Investment’s earnings per share have been growing at 13% a year for the past five years.

Another key way to measure a company’s dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Al Rajhi Banking and Investment has delivered 6.6% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. We’re glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.

Final Takeaway

Has Al Rajhi Banking and Investment got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? When companies are growing rapidly and retaining a majority of the profits within the business, it’s usually a sign that reinvesting earnings creates more value than paying dividends to shareholders. Perhaps even more importantly – this can sometimes signal management is focused on the long term future of the business. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating Al Rajhi Banking and Investment more closely.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. Every company has risks, and we’ve spotted 1 warning sign for Al Rajhi Banking and Investment you should know about.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.