China Everbright (HKG:165) Is Increasing Its Dividend To HK$0.28

China Everbright Limited's (HKG:165) dividend will be increasing to HK$0.28 on 8th of October. This will take the annual payment from 6.0% to 6.0% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

See our latest analysis for China Everbright

China Everbright's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, China Everbright'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.

Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 0.5% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 31% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was HK$0.43 in 2011, and the most recent fiscal year payment was HK$0.63. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 3.9% a year over that time. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Unfortunately, China Everbright's earnings per share has been essentially flat over the past five years, which means the dividend may not be increased each year. While EPS growth is quite low, China Everbright has the option to increase the payout ratio to return more cash to shareholders.

In Summary

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. 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.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've identified 3 warning signs for China Everbright (2 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.

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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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