Winfair Investment (HKG:287) Has Announced A Dividend Of HK$0.02

Winfair Investment Company Limited (HKG:287) has announced that it will pay a dividend of HK$0.02 per share on the 9th of January. Including this payment, the dividend yield on the stock will be 4.3%, which is a modest boost for shareholders' returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Winfair Investment

Winfair Investment's Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain

It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Even though Winfair Investment isn't generating a profit, it is generating healthy free cash flows that easily cover the dividend. In general, cash flows are more important than the more traditional measures of profit so we feel pretty comfortable with the dividend at this level.

EPS has fallen by an average of 9.4% in the past, so this could continue over the next year. This means that the company will be unprofitable, but cash flows are more important when considering the dividend and as the current cash payout ratio is pretty healthy, we don't think there is too much reason to worry.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of HK$0.12 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of HK$0.14. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 1.6% over that duration. It's encouraging to see some dividend growth, but the dividend has been cut at least once, and the size of the cut would eliminate most of the growth anyway, which makes this less attractive as an income investment.

Dividend Growth Is Doubtful

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. In the last five years, Winfair Investment's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 9.4% per annum. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed.

The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. We don't think Winfair Investment is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Winfair Investment (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing. Is Winfair Investment 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.