Could Hanwha Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (KRX:088350) Have The Makings Of Another Dividend Aristocrat?

Dividend paying stocks like Hanwha Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (KRX:088350) tend to be popular with investors, and for good reason - some research suggests a significant amount of all stock market returns come from reinvested dividends. On the other hand, investors have been known to buy a stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations.

A 1.0% yield is nothing to get excited about, but investors probably think the long payment history suggests Hanwha Life Insurance has some staying power. Some simple research can reduce the risk of buying Hanwha Life Insurance for its dividend - read on to learn more.

Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Hanwha Life Insurance!

Payout ratios

Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. Looking at the data, we can see that 16% of Hanwha Life Insurance's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. We like this low payout ratio, because it implies the dividend is well covered and leaves ample opportunity for reinvestment.

Consider getting our latest analysis on Hanwha Life Insurance's financial position here.

Dividend Volatility

From the perspective of an income investor who wants to earn dividends for many years, there is not much point buying a stock if its dividend is regularly cut or is not reliable. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of Hanwha Life Insurance's dividend payments. While its dividends have not been hugely volatile, its most recent dividend is still meaningfully below where it was 10 years ago. During the past 10-year period, the first annual payment was ₩100 in 2011, compared to ₩30.0 last year. This works out to a decline of approximately 70% over that time.

A shrinking dividend over a 10-year period is not ideal, and we'd be concerned about investing in a dividend stock that lacks a solid record of growing dividends per share.

Dividend Growth Potential

While dividend payments have been relatively reliable, it would also be nice if earnings per share (EPS) were growing, as this is essential to maintaining the dividend's purchasing power over the long term. Over the past five years, it looks as though Hanwha Life Insurance's EPS have declined at around 22% a year. With this kind of significant decline, we always wonder what has changed in the business. Dividends are about stability, and Hanwha Life Insurance's earnings per share, which support the dividend, have been anything but stable.

Conclusion

Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. We're glad to see Hanwha Life Insurance has a low payout ratio, as this suggests earnings are being reinvested in the business. It's not great to see earnings per share shrinking. The dividends have been relatively consistent, but we wonder for how much longer this will be true. Hanwha Life Insurance might not be a bad business, but it doesn't show all of the characteristics we look for in a dividend stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Hanwha Life Insurance (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing.

Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of dividend stocks with a yield above 3%.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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