There's A Lot To Like About Hochschild Mining's (LON:HOC) Upcoming US$0.019 Dividend

Hochschild Mining plc (LON:HOC) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next three 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. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. This means that investors who purchase Hochschild Mining's shares on or after the 9th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 28th of September.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.019 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.046 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Hochschild Mining has a trailing yield of approximately 1.7% on its current stock price of £1.612. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Hochschild Mining's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for Hochschild Mining

Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Fortunately Hochschild Mining's payout ratio is modest, at just 42% of profit. 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. It paid out 19% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low.

It's positive to see that Hochschild Mining's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. It's encouraging to see Hochschild Mining has grown its earnings rapidly, up 31% a year for the past five years. Hochschild Mining is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow, while simultaneously growing earnings per share at a rapid clip. This is a very favourable combination that can often lead to the dividend multiplying over the long term, if earnings grow and the company pays out a higher percentage of its earnings.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Hochschild Mining's dividend payments per share have declined at 4.2% per year on average over the past 10 years, which is uninspiring. Hochschild Mining is a rare case where dividends have been decreasing at the same time as earnings per share have been improving. It's unusual to see, and could point to unstable conditions in the core business, or more rarely an intensified focus on reinvesting profits.

Final Takeaway

Is Hochschild Mining an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's great that Hochschild Mining 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. Hochschild Mining looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.

So while Hochschild Mining looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Hochschild Mining you should be aware of.

We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

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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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