We Wouldn't Be Too Quick To Buy Pokfulam Development Company Limited (HKG:225) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend

Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Pokfulam Development Company Limited (HKG:225) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. This means that investors who purchase Pokfulam Development's shares on or after the 24th of January will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of February.

The company's next dividend payment will be HK$0.34 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of HK$0.38 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Pokfulam Development has a trailing yield of 3.3% on the current share price of HK$11.52. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether Pokfulam Development has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

Check out our latest analysis for Pokfulam Development

Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Fortunately Pokfulam Development's payout ratio is modest, at just 31% of profit. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. It paid out 94% of its free cash flow in the form of dividends last year, which is outside the comfort zone for most businesses. Companies usually need cash more than they need earnings - expenses don't pay themselves - so it's not great to see it paying out so much of its cash flow.

While Pokfulam Development's dividends were covered by the company's reported profits, cash is somewhat more important, so it's not great to see that the company didn't generate enough cash to pay its dividend. Were this to happen repeatedly, this would be a risk to Pokfulam Development's ability to maintain its dividend.

Click here to see how much of its profit Pokfulam Development paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. With that in mind, we're discomforted by Pokfulam Development's 12% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past 10 years, Pokfulam Development has increased its dividend at approximately 6.6% a year on average.

To Sum It Up

Has Pokfulam Development got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Pokfulam Development's earnings per share have fallen noticeably and, although it paid out less than half its profit as dividends last year, it paid out a disconcertingly high percentage of its cashflow, which is not a great combination. With the way things are shaping up from a dividend perspective, we'd be inclined to steer clear of Pokfulam Development.

With that being said, if you're still considering Pokfulam Development as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. Be aware that Pokfulam Development is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those doesn't sit too well with us...

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.