Emperor International Holdings' (HKG:163) Dividend Will Be Reduced To HK$0.012

Emperor International Holdings Limited (HKG:163) is reducing its dividend to HK$0.012 on the 14th of September. This means that the dividend yield is 3.1%, which is a bit low when comparing to other companies in the industry.

View our latest analysis for Emperor International Holdings

Emperor International Holdings Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend

If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. Even though Emperor International Holdings isn't generating a profit, it is generating healthy free cash flows that easily cover the dividend. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.

Over the next year, EPS might fall by 24.0% based on recent performance. This means that the company won't turn a profit over the next year, but with healthy cash flows at the moment the dividend could still be okay to continue.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least 1 cut in the last 10 years. Since 2011, the first annual payment was HK$0.093, compared to the most recent full-year payment of HK$0.024. Dividend payments have fallen sharply, down 74% over that time. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. Emperor International Holdings' EPS has fallen by approximately 24% per year during the past five years. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future.

Emperor International Holdings' Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. The company is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Emperor International Holdings (of which 2 are potentially serious!) you should know about. 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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