Taste Gourmet Group Limited (HKG:8371) Looks Interesting, And It's About To Pay A Dividend

Taste Gourmet Group Limited (HKG:8371) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in three days. 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. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Meaning, you will need to purchase Taste Gourmet Group's shares before the 25th of November to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 21st of December.

The company's next dividend payment will be HK$0.04 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of HK$0.04 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Taste Gourmet Group stock has a trailing yield of around 3.9% on the current share price of HK$1.02. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Taste Gourmet Group

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Taste Gourmet Group paid out 66% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Taste Gourmet Group generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 13% of its free cash flow in the last 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 how much of its profit Taste Gourmet Group paid out over the last 12 months.

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 earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. It's encouraging to see Taste Gourmet Group has grown its earnings rapidly, up 21% a year for the past five years. The current payout ratio suggests a good balance between rewarding shareholders with dividends, and reinvesting in growth. With a reasonable payout ratio, profits being reinvested, and some earnings growth, Taste Gourmet Group could have strong prospects for future increases to the dividend.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Taste Gourmet Group has delivered an average of 22% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past three years of dividend payments. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.

Final Takeaway

Has Taste Gourmet Group got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Taste Gourmet Group's growing earnings per share and conservative payout ratios make for a decent combination. We also like that it paid out a lower percentage of its cash flow. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.

While it's tempting to invest in Taste Gourmet Group for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. For example - Taste Gourmet Group has 3 warning signs we think 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.

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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