Healthia (ASX:HLA) Has Re-Affirmed Its Dividend Of AU$0.02

The board of Healthia Limited (ASX:HLA) has announced that it will pay a dividend of AU$0.02 per share on the 24th of March. The dividend yield will be 3.4% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.

Check out our latest analysis for Healthia

Healthia's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, Healthia's profits didn't cover the dividend, but the company was generating enough cash instead. Generally, we think cash is more important than accounting measures of profit, so with the cash flows easily covering the dividend, we don't think there is much reason to worry.

Earnings per share is forecast to rise exponentially over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along the path it has been on, the payout ratio could get to 95% which is certainly still sustainable.

Healthia's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

The track record isn't the longest, but we are already seeing a bit of instability in the payments. The first annual payment during the last 2 years was AU$0.02 in 2020, and the most recent fiscal year payment was AU$0.04. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 41% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.

Dividend Growth Could Be Constrained

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. It's encouraging to see Healthia has been growing its earnings per share at 80% a year over the past three years. While EPS is growing rapidly, Healthia paid out a very high 2,762% of its income as dividends. If earnings continue to grow, this dividend may be sustainable, but we think a payout this high definitely bears watching.

We'd also point out that Healthia has issued stock equal to 42% of shares outstanding. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

In Summary

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Healthia that you should be aware of before investing. Is Healthia not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.