International Housewares Retail Company Limited (HKG:1373) Will Pay A HK$0.04 Dividend In Four Days

International Housewares Retail Company Limited (HKG:1373) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. In other words, investors can purchase International Housewares Retail's shares before the 6th of January in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 5th of February.

The company's next dividend payment will be HK$0.04 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of HK$0.08 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, International Housewares Retail has a trailing yield of 7.8% on the current stock price of HK$1.02. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether International Housewares Retail's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

See our latest analysis for International Housewares Retail

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. It paid out 83% of its earnings as dividends last year, which is not unreasonable, but limits reinvestment in the business and leaves the dividend vulnerable to a business downturn. It could become a concern if earnings started to decline. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. It distributed 26% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.

It's positive to see that International Housewares Retail's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.

Click here to see how much of its profit International Housewares Retail paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. International Housewares Retail's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 7.0% a year over the previous five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. International Housewares Retail has delivered 7.2% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. The only way to pay higher dividends when earnings are shrinking is either to pay out a larger percentage of profits, spend cash from the balance sheet, or borrow the money. International Housewares Retail is already paying out 83% of its profits, and with shrinking earnings we think it's unlikely that this dividend will grow quickly in the future.

The Bottom Line

Has International Housewares Retail got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? The payout ratios are within a reasonable range, implying the dividend may be sustainable. Declining earnings are a serious concern, however, and could pose a threat to the dividend in future. In summary, it's hard to get excited about International Housewares Retail from a dividend perspective.

However if you're still interested in International Housewares Retail as a potential investment, you should definitely consider some of the risks involved with International Housewares Retail. For example, we've found 3 warning signs for International Housewares Retail (1 is potentially serious!) that deserve your attention before investing in the shares.

Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are 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.