Man Wah Holdings' (HKG:1999) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

The board of Man Wah Holdings Limited (HKG:1999) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 12th of January to HK$0.13. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 2.2%.

Check out our latest analysis for Man Wah Holdings

Man Wah Holdings' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. Prior to this announcement, Man Wah Holdings' dividend was only 52% of earnings, however it was paying out 175% of free cash flows. While the company may be more focused on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business at this time, we think that a cash payout ratio this high might expose the dividend to being cut if the business ran into some challenges.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 26.7%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 44% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2011, the first annual payment was HK$0.067, compared to the most recent full-year payment of HK$0.29. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 16% a year over that time. Man Wah Holdings has grown distributions at a rapid rate despite cutting the dividend at least once in the past. Companies that cut once often cut again, so we would be cautious about buying this stock solely for the dividend income.

The Dividend Has Growth Potential

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that Man Wah Holdings has grown earnings per share at 5.8% per year over the past five years. While on an earnings basis, this company looks appealing as an income stock, the cash payout ratio still makes us cautious.

Our Thoughts On Man Wah Holdings' Dividend

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Man Wah Holdings will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Man Wah Holdings that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of strong dividend payers.

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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