Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Schweiter Technologies AG (VTX:SWTQ) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Accordingly, Schweiter Technologies investors that purchase the stock on or after the 12th of April will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 16th of April.

The company's next dividend payment will be CHF015.00 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed CHF15.00 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Schweiter Technologies has a trailing yield of 3.1% on the current share price of CHF0489.00. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether Schweiter Technologies can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

See our latest analysis for Schweiter Technologies

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. Its dividend payout ratio is 78% of profit, which means the company is paying out a majority of its earnings. The relatively limited profit reinvestment could slow the rate of future earnings growth. We'd be worried about the risk of a drop in earnings. 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. Dividends consumed 62% of the company's free cash flow last year, which is within a normal range for most dividend-paying organisations.

It's positive to see that Schweiter Technologies'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.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're discomforted by Schweiter Technologies's 14% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.