Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 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. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Thus, you can purchase Union Pacific's shares before the 29th of May in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 30th of June.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$1.38 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$5.52 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Union Pacific has a trailing yield of 2.1% on the current stock price of US$265.88. 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! 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. That's why it's good to see Union Pacific paying out a modest 45% of its earnings. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Union Pacific generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Dividends consumed 57% of the company's free cash flow last year, which is within a normal range for most dividend-paying organisations.

It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.

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. This is why it's a relief to see Union Pacific earnings per share are up 9.0% per annum over the last five years. Decent historical earnings per share growth suggests Union Pacific has been effectively growing value for shareholders. However, it's now paying out more than half its earnings as dividends. Therefore it's unlikely that the company will be able to reinvest heavily in its business, which could presage slower growth in the future.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Union Pacific has lifted its dividend by approximately 9.6% a year on average. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.

Final Takeaway

Has Union Pacific got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Earnings per share have been growing at a steady rate, and Union Pacific paid out less than half its profits and more than half its free cash flow as dividends over the last year. While it does have some good things going for it, we're a bit ambivalent and it would take more to convince us of Union Pacific's dividend merits.

While it's tempting to invest in Union Pacific for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved.

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.

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.