China Leon Inspection Holding's (HKG:1586) Dividend Will Be Reduced To HK$0.0174

China Leon Inspection Holding Limited (HKG:1586) has announced that on 15th of July, it will be paying a dividend ofHK$0.0174, which a reduction from last year's comparable dividend. This means that the annual payment will be 3.1% of the current stock price, which is in line with the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for China Leon Inspection Holding

China Leon Inspection Holding's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. However, China Leon Inspection Holding's earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Over the next year, EPS could expand by 37.6% if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 25% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

China Leon Inspection Holding's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

It's comforting to see that China Leon Inspection Holding has been paying a dividend for a number of years now, however it has been cut at least once in that time. This makes us cautious about the consistency of the dividend over a full economic cycle. Since 2017, the annual payment back then was HK$0.0212, compared to the most recent full-year payment of HK$0.0443. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 11% over that duration. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. We are encouraged to see that China Leon Inspection Holding has grown earnings per share at 38% per year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.

We Really Like China Leon Inspection Holding's Dividend

In general, we don't like to see the dividend being cut, especially when the company has such high potential like China Leon Inspection Holding does. The cut will allow the company to continue paying out the dividend without putting the balance sheet under pressure, which means that it could remain sustainable for longer. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

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 picked out 1 warning sign for China Leon Inspection Holding that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is China Leon Inspection Holding not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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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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