VSTECS Holdings Limited (HKG:856) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 12th of July to HK$0.257. This makes the dividend yield 5.3%, which is above the industry average.
Check out our latest analysis for VSTECS Holdings
While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Before making this announcement, VSTECS Holdings was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 38.7% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 32% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from HK$0.08 total annually to HK$0.257. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12% a year over that time. Despite the rapid growth in the dividend over the past number of years, we have seen the payments go down the past as well, so that makes us cautious.
Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. However, VSTECS Holdings has only grown its earnings per share at 4.5% per annum over the past five years. If VSTECS Holdings is struggling to find viable investments, it always has the option to increase its payout ratio to pay more to shareholders.
In summary, it's great to see that the company can raise the dividend and keep it in a sustainable range. The dividend has been at reasonable levels historically, but that hasn't translated into a consistent payment. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for VSTECS Holdings that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated 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.
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