Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 2 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. In other words, investors can purchase W.W. Grainger's shares before the 12th of August in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 1st of September.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$2.05 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$8.20 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that W.W. Grainger has a trailing yield of 0.8% on the current share price of US$972.24. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

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. W.W. Grainger paid out just 21% 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 W.W. Grainger generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 22% of its free cash flow last year.

It's positive to see that W.W. Grainger'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?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's comforting to see W.W. Grainger's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 22% per annum for the past five years. With earnings per share growing rapidly and the company sensibly reinvesting almost all of its profits within the business, W.W. Grainger looks like a promising growth company.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the last 10 years, W.W. Grainger has lifted its dividend by approximately 8.2% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

The Bottom Line

Is W.W. Grainger worth buying for its dividend? We love that W.W. Grainger is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research.

While it's tempting to invest in W.W. Grainger for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for W.W. Grainger and you should be aware of it before buying any shares.

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