High Fashion International's (HKG:608) Dividend Will Be Increased To HK$0.06

High Fashion International Limited's (HKG:608) dividend will be increasing to HK$0.06 on 15th of July. This will take the annual payment from 5.2% to 5.2% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

View our latest analysis for High Fashion International

High Fashion International's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Prior to this announcement, High Fashion International's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.

If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 27.7% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 12% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from HK$0.20 to HK$0.08. Doing the maths, this is a decline of about 8.8% per year. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. We are encouraged to see that High Fashion International has grown earnings per share at 28% per year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.

In Summary

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think High Fashion International will make a great income stock. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. As an example, we've identified 3 warning signs for High Fashion International that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.