Haitong Securities (SHSE:600837) Is Reducing Its Dividend To CN¥0.10

Haitong Securities Co., Ltd. (SHSE:600837) is reducing its dividend from last year's comparable payment to CN¥0.10 on the 8th of August. This means that the dividend yield is 1.2%, which is a bit low when comparing to other companies in the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Haitong Securities

Haitong Securities Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend

The dividend yield is a little bit low, but sustainability of the payments is also an important part of evaluating an income stock. Even though Haitong Securities isn't generating a profit, it is generating healthy free cash flows that easily cover the dividend. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to rise by 57.3%. We like to see the company moving towards profitability, but this probably won't be enough for it to post positive net income this year. The positive free cash flows give us some comfort, however, that the dividend could continue to be sustained.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was CN¥0.12, compared to the most recent full-year payment of CN¥0.10. This works out to be a decline of approximately 1.8% per year over that time. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

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. Earnings per share has been sinking by 17% over the last five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.

Haitong Securities' Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Haitong Securities 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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