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The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX) Pays A US$0.27 Dividend In Just Four Days

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 9th of November will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 2nd of December.

Greenbrier Companies's next dividend payment will be US$0.27 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$1.08 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Greenbrier Companies stock has a trailing yield of around 3.7% on the current share price of $29.28. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Greenbrier Companies's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for Greenbrier Companies

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Greenbrier Companies paid out more than half (71%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 17% of its cash flow last year.

It's positive to see that Greenbrier Companies'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.

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Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. 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 Greenbrier Companies's 26% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Greenbrier Companies has delivered an average of 10% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past six years of dividend payments. Growing the dividend payout ratio while earnings are declining can deliver nice returns for a while, but it's always worth checking for when the company can't increase the payout ratio any more - because then the music stops.

Final Takeaway

Is Greenbrier Companies worth buying for its dividend? The payout ratios are within a reasonable range, implying the dividend may be sustainable. Declining earnings are a serious concern, however, and could pose a threat to the dividend in future. While it does have some good things going for it, we're a bit ambivalent and it would take more to convince us of Greenbrier Companies's dividend merits.

So if you want to do more digging on Greenbrier Companies, you'll find it worthwhile knowing the risks that this stock faces. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Greenbrier Companies you should know about.

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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