Income Investors Should Know That Karat Packaging Inc. (NASDAQ:KRT) Goes Ex-Dividend Soon

Yahoo

11-05-2025

It looks like Karat Packaging Inc. (NASDAQ:KRT) is about to go ex-dividend in the next four days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. This means that investors who purchase Karat Packaging's shares on or after the 16th of May will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 23rd of May.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.45 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.95 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Karat Packaging has a trailing yield of approximately 6.4% on its current stock price of US$30.26. 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.
We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.
Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Karat Packaging is paying out an acceptable 73% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. It paid out more than half (64%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies.
It's positive to see that Karat Packaging'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.
View our latest analysis for Karat Packaging
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. It's encouraging to see Karat Packaging has grown its earnings rapidly, up 68% a year for the past five years. The current payout ratio suggests a good balance between rewarding shareholders with dividends, and reinvesting in growth. Earnings per share have been growing quickly and in combination with some reinvestment and a middling payout ratio, the stock may have decent dividend prospects going forwards.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last two years, Karat Packaging has lifted its dividend by approximately 136% a year on average. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.
Should investors buy Karat Packaging for the upcoming dividend? Higher earnings per share generally lead to higher dividends from dividend-paying stocks over the long run. However, we'd also note that Karat Packaging is paying out more than half of its earnings and cash flow as profits, which could limit the dividend growth if earnings growth slows. In summary, it's hard to get excited about Karat Packaging from a dividend perspective.
While it's tempting to invest in Karat Packaging for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Karat Packaging you should be aware of.
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.