Grainger plc (LON:GRI) Stock Goes Ex-Dividend In Just Three Days

Yahoo

18-05-2025

It looks like Grainger plc (LON:GRI) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 3 days. The ex-dividend date is two business days before a company's record date in most cases, 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. This means that investors who purchase Grainger's shares on or after the 22nd of May will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 7th of July.
The company's next dividend payment will be UK£0.0285 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed UK£0.075 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Grainger stock has a trailing yield of around 3.4% on the current share price of UK£2.25. 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! So we need to investigate whether Grainger can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
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If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Grainger paid out 53% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. 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. Fortunately, it paid out only 34% of its free cash flow in the past year.
It's positive to see that Grainger'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.
Check out our latest analysis for Grainger
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Grainger's earnings per share have dropped 5.8% a year over the past five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Grainger has lifted its dividend by approximately 14% a year on average. That's interesting, but the combination of a growing dividend despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out more of the company's profits. This can be valuable for shareholders, but it can't go on forever.
Is Grainger an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We're not enthused by the declining earnings per share, although at least the company's payout ratio is within a reasonable range, meaning it may not be at imminent risk of a dividend cut. To summarise, Grainger looks okay on this analysis, although it doesn't appear a stand-out opportunity.
With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Grainger, you should know about the other risks facing this business. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Grainger (including 1 which can't be ignored).
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