Here's What We Like About Ruitai Materials Technology's (SZSE:002066) Upcoming Dividend

It looks like Ruitai Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002066) is about to go 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 Ruitai Materials Technology's shares before the 29th of May in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 29th of May.

The company's next dividend payment will be CN¥0.10 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CN¥0.10 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Ruitai Materials Technology has a trailing yield of approximately 1.1% on its current stock price of CN¥9.15. 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.

See our latest analysis for Ruitai Materials Technology

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 Ruitai Materials Technology paying out a modest 32% of its earnings. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Dividends consumed 55% 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 how much of its profit Ruitai Materials Technology paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see Ruitai Materials Technology's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 33% per annum for the past five years.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Ruitai Materials Technology has delivered 7.2% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. 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.

To Sum It Up

Is Ruitai Materials Technology worth buying for its dividend? From a dividend perspective, we're encouraged to see that earnings per share have been growing, the company is paying out less than half of its earnings, and a bit over half its free cash flow. There's a lot to like about Ruitai Materials Technology, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

So while Ruitai Materials Technology looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. Be aware that Ruitai Materials Technology is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is potentially serious...

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.