Perennial Energy Holdings' (HKG:2798) Dividend Will Be Increased To CN¥0.125

Perennial Energy Holdings Limited (HKG:2798) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 3rd of July to CN¥0.125. This takes the dividend yield to 8.0%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Investors will be pleased to see that Perennial Energy Holdings' stock price has increased by 58% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.

View our latest analysis for Perennial Energy Holdings

Perennial Energy Holdings' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Perennial Energy Holdings' 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 15.1% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 23%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Perennial Energy Holdings Is Still Building Its Track Record

The dividend hasn't seen any major cuts in the past, but the company has only been paying a dividend for 3 years, which isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. The annual payment during the last 3 years was CN¥0.0207 in 2020, and the most recent fiscal year payment was CN¥0.109. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 74% per annum over that time. The dividend has been growing rapidly, however with such a short payment history we can't know for sure if payment can continue to grow over the long term, so caution may be warranted.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. We are encouraged to see that Perennial Energy Holdings has grown earnings per share at 15% per year over the past five years. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Perennial Energy Holdings' prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.

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 be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 3 warning signs for Perennial Energy Holdings you should be aware of, and 1 of them is potentially serious. 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.