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 F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. (NYSE:FG) is about to go ex-dividend in just 2 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 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. Thus, you can purchase F&G Annuities & Life's shares before the 14th of March in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 29th of March.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.21 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.84 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, F&G Annuities & Life has a trailing yield of 2.3% on the current stock price of US$35.99. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

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. F&G Annuities & Life lost money last year, so the fact that it's paying a dividend is certainly disconcerting. There might be a good reason for this, but we'd want to look into it further before getting comfortable.

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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. F&G Annuities & Life reported a loss last year, but at least the general trend suggests its income has been improving over the past five years. Even so, an unprofitable company whose business does not quickly recover is usually not a good candidate for dividend investors.

Unfortunately F&G Annuities & Life has only been paying a dividend for a year or so, so there's not much of a history to draw insight from.

We update our analysis on F&G Annuities & Life every 24 hours, so you can always get the latest insights on its financial health, here.

To Sum It Up

Is F&G Annuities & Life an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We're a bit uncomfortable with it paying a dividend while being loss-making. We're unconvinced on the company's merits, and think there might be better opportunities out there.

If you're not too concerned about F&G Annuities & Life's ability to pay dividends, you should still be mindful of some of the other risks that this business faces. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with F&G Annuities & Life and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

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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.