Goodwin PLC (LON:GDWN) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in three days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the 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. Meaning, you will need to purchase Goodwin's shares before the 21st of March to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 12th of April.

The company's upcoming dividend is UK￡0.575 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of UK￡1.15 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Goodwin has a trailing yield of approximately 2.2% on its current stock price of UK￡51.40. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to investigate whether Goodwin can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

View our latest analysis for Goodwin

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. Goodwin paid out more than half (55%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for 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 (58%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies.

It's positive to see that Goodwin'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 how much of its profit Goodwin paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. For this reason, we're glad to see Goodwin's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years. Goodwin has an average payout ratio which suggests a balance between growing earnings and rewarding shareholders. Given the quick rate of earnings per share growth and current level of payout, there may be a chance of further dividend increases in the future.