Be Sure To Check Out Fujian Yuanli Active Carbon Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:300174) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend

Fujian Yuanli Active Carbon Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:300174) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next day or so. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled 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. Meaning, you will need to purchase Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd's shares before the 22nd of January to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 22nd of January.

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. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd has a trailing yield of 0.7% on the current stock price of CN¥15.00. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

View our latest analysis for Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 13% of its income after tax. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. Fortunately, it paid out only 46% of its free cash flow in the past year.

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?

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. For this reason, we're glad to see Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd's earnings per share have risen 17% per annum over the last five years. The company has managed to grow earnings at a rapid rate, while reinvesting most of the profits within the business. This will make it easier to fund future growth efforts and we think this is an attractive combination - plus the dividend can always be increased later.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd has delivered 14% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.

To Sum It Up

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd? It's great that Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's disappointing to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, but as things stand now, the low payout ratio suggests a conservative approach to dividends, which we like. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd is facing. For example - Fujian Yuanli Active CarbonLtd has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.

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.