Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 3 days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Therefore, if you purchase Leggett & Platt's shares on or after the 14th of June, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 15th of July.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.05 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.20 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Leggett & Platt has a trailing yield of approximately 1.6% on its current stock price of US$12.24. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Leggett & Platt's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Leggett & Platt has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Leggett & Platt's dividend is not well covered by earnings, as the company lost money last year. This is not a sustainable state of affairs, so it would be worth investigating if earnings are expected to recover. With the recent loss, it's important to check if the business generated enough cash to pay its dividend. If cash earnings don't cover the dividend, the company would have to pay dividends out of cash in the bank, or by borrowing money, neither of which is long-term sustainable. It paid out 83% of its free cash flow as dividends, which is within usual limits but will limit the company's ability to lift the dividend if there's no growth.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Leggett & Platt reported a loss last year, and the general trend suggests its earnings have also been declining in recent years, making us wonder if the dividend is at risk.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Leggett & Platt's dividend payments per share have declined at 16% per year on average over the past 10 years, which is uninspiring. It's never nice to see earnings and dividends falling, but at least management has cut the dividend rather than potentially risk the company's health in an attempt to maintain it.

Get our latest analysis on Leggett & Platt's balance sheet health here.

Final Takeaway

Should investors buy Leggett & Platt for the upcoming dividend? It's hard to get used to Leggett & Platt paying a dividend despite reporting a loss over the past year. At least the dividend was covered by free cash flow, however. With the way things are shaping up from a dividend perspective, we'd be inclined to steer clear of Leggett & Platt.

Although, if you're still interested in Leggett & Platt and want to know more, you'll find it very useful to know what risks this stock faces. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Leggett & Platt (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) 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.