Stock Analysis

Should Telecom Service One Holdings Limited (HKG:3997) Be Part Of Your Portfolio?

SEHK:3997
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Dividends can be underrated but they form a large part of investment returns, playing an important role in compounding returns in the long run. Historically, Telecom Service One Holdings Limited (HKG:3997) has paid dividends to shareholders, and these days it yields 7.1%. Let's dig deeper into whether Telecom Service One Holdings should have a place in your portfolio.

See our latest analysis for Telecom Service One Holdings

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5 checks you should do on a dividend stock

Whenever I am looking at a potential dividend stock investment, I always check these five metrics:

  • Is its annual yield among the top 25% of dividend-paying companies?
  • Has it consistently paid a stable dividend without missing a payment or drastically cutting payout?
  • Has the amount of dividend per share grown over the past?
  • Can it afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?
  • Will it have the ability to keep paying its dividends going forward?
SEHK:3997 Historical Dividend Yield February 18th 19
SEHK:3997 Historical Dividend Yield February 18th 19

Does Telecom Service One Holdings pass our checks?

The current trailing twelve-month payout ratio for the stock is 81%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Furthermore, analysts have not forecasted a dividends per share for the future, which makes it hard to determine the yield shareholders should expect, and whether the current payout is sustainable, moving forward.

When assessing the forecast sustainability of a dividend it is also worth considering the cash flow of the business. Companies with strong cash flow can sustain a higher payout ratio, while companies with weaker cash flow generally cannot.

If there's one type of stock you want to be reliable, it's dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. Unfortunately, it is really too early to view Telecom Service One Holdings as a dividend investment. It has only been consistently paying dividends for 5 years, however, standard practice for reliable payers is to look for a 10-year minimum track record.

Compared to its peers, Telecom Service One Holdings produces a yield of 7.1%, which is high for Commercial Services stocks.

Next Steps:

Taking all the above into account, Telecom Service One Holdings is a complicated pick for dividend investors given that there are a couple of positive things about it as well as negative. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, the stock could still be an interesting investment opportunity. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, I urge potential investors to try and get a good understanding of the underlying business and its fundamentals before deciding on an investment. Below, I've compiled three fundamental aspects you should further research:

  1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 3997’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 3997’s outlook.
  2. Valuation: What is 3997 worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it's not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether 3997 is currently mispriced by the market.
  3. Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. On rare occasion, data errors may occur. Thank you for reading.