The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Thus, you can purchase Mosaic's shares before the 1st of March in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 16th of March.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.20 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.80 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Mosaic has a trailing yield of 1.6% on the current share price of $51.5. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether Mosaic has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut. Mosaic Swimming Pool Tile

Check out our latest analysis for Mosaic

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. Mosaic paid out just 6.4% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Mosaic generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 7.4% of its free cash flow in the last year.

It's positive to see that Mosaic'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 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. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. It's encouraging to see Mosaic has grown its earnings rapidly, up 60% a year for the past five years. Mosaic looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Mosaic has lifted its dividend by approximately 4.8% a year on average. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Mosaic is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business.

Is Mosaic an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's great that Mosaic is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's disappointing to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, but as things stand now, the low payout ratio suggests a conservative approach to dividends, which we like. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.

While it's tempting to invest in Mosaic for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. We've identified 2 warning signs with Mosaic (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.

What are the risks and opportunities for Mosaic?

The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally. Show more

Price-To-Earnings ratio (4.9x) is below the US market (15.2x)

Earnings grew by 119.7% over the past year

Earnings are forecast to decline by an average of 31.1% per year for the next 3 years

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The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally.

Flawless balance sheet with outstanding track record and pays a dividend.

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