Why It Might Not Make Sense To Buy Geojit Financial Services Limited (NSE:GEOJITFSL) 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 Geojit Financial Services Limited (NSE:GEOJITFSL) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next three 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 important as the process of settlement involves at least two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase Geojit Financial Services' shares before the 10th of July in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 23rd of August.

The company's next dividend payment will be ₹1.50 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed ₹1.50 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Geojit Financial Services has a trailing yield of 1.9% on the current share price of ₹79.52. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

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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. Geojit Financial Services paid out 52% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses.

Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend.

Check out our latest analysis for Geojit Financial Services

Click here to see how much of its profit Geojit Financial Services paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see Geojit Financial Services's earnings per share have dropped 11% a year over the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Geojit Financial Services has seen its dividend decline 1.5% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see.

The Bottom Line

Has Geojit Financial Services got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? We're not overly enthused to see Geojit Financial Services's earnings in retreat at the same time as the company is paying out more than half of its earnings as dividends to shareholders. This is not an overtly appealing combination of characteristics, and we're just not that interested in this company's dividend.

With that in mind though, if the poor dividend characteristics of Geojit Financial Services don't faze you, it's worth being mindful of the risks involved with this business. For example, we've found 3 warning signs for Geojit Financial Services (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that deserve your attention before investing in the shares.

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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.