Hill-Rom Holdings (NYSE:HRC) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming Dividend

Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HRC) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. You will need to purchase shares before the 17th of September to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of September.

Hill-Rom Holdings's next dividend payment will be US$0.22 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.88 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Hill-Rom Holdings has a trailing yield of approximately 1.0% on its current stock price of $87.46. 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 Hill-Rom Holdings

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. Hill-Rom Holdings paid out a comfortable 27% of its profit last year. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. Luckily it paid out just 18% of its free cash flow last year.

It's positive to see that Hill-Rom Holdings'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.

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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's comforting to see Hill-Rom Holdings's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 24% per annum for the past five years. Hill-Rom Holdings is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow, while simultaneously growing earnings per share at a rapid clip. This is a very favourable combination that can often lead to the dividend multiplying over the long term, if earnings grow and the company pays out a higher percentage of its earnings.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past 10 years, Hill-Rom Holdings has increased its dividend at approximately 7.9% a year on average. 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.

To Sum It Up

Is Hill-Rom Holdings an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We love that Hill-Rom Holdings 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. Hill-Rom Holdings looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Hill-Rom Holdings is facing. We've identified 3 warning signs with Hill-Rom Holdings (at least 1 which is significant), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

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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