Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE:SCCO) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the 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. Meaning, you will need to purchase Southern Copper's shares before the 6th of November to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 21st of November.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.70 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$2.80 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Southern Copper has a trailing yield of 2.6% on the current stock price of US$109.55. 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 check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Southern Copper

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. Southern Copper paid out more than half (61%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Southern Copper generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It paid out more than half (73%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies.

It's positive to see that Southern Copper'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.

historic-dividendHave 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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. For this reason, we're glad to see Southern Copper's earnings per share have risen 14% per annum over the last five years. Southern Copper has an average payout ratio which suggests a balance between growing earnings and rewarding shareholders. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Southern Copper has increased its dividend at approximately 15% a year on average. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.

Final Takeaway

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Southern Copper? Higher earnings per share generally lead to higher dividends from dividend-paying stocks over the long run. That's why we're glad to see Southern Copper's earnings per share growing, although as we saw, the company is paying out more than half of its earnings and cashflow – 61% and 73% respectively. Overall, it's hard to get excited about Southern Copper from a dividend perspective.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. For example – Southern Copper has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.

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.