Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE:PIPR) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four 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. 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. Thus, you can purchase Piper Sandler Companies' shares before the 4th of March in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 14th of March.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$3.65 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$5.60 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Piper Sandler Companies has a trailing yield of 2.0% on the current stock price of US$283.19. 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 check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Piper Sandler Companies

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. Piper Sandler Companies has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 22% of its income after tax.

Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.

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

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. 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 Piper Sandler Companies's earnings per share have risen 13% per annum over the last five years.

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, eight years ago, Piper Sandler Companies has lifted its dividend by approximately 21% a year on average. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.

To Sum It Up

Is Piper Sandler Companies worth buying for its dividend? Typically, companies that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings are keeping the profits for reinvestment in the business. This is one of the most attractive investment combinations under this analysis, as it can create substantial value for investors over the long run. In summary, Piper Sandler Companies appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.

In light of that, while Piper Sandler Companies has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Piper Sandler Companies you should be aware of.

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.

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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.