Beshom Holdings Berhad's (KLSE:BESHOM) Dividend Will Be Reduced To MYR0.02

Beshom Holdings Berhad (KLSE:BESHOM) is reducing its dividend from last year's comparable payment to MYR0.02 on the 30th of November. The dividend yield of 4.9% is still a nice boost to shareholder returns, despite the cut.

See our latest analysis for Beshom Holdings Berhad

Beshom Holdings Berhad's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, Beshom Holdings Berhad was paying out quite a large proportion of both earnings and cash flow, with the dividend being 198% of cash flows. Paying out such a high proportion of cash flows certainly exposes the company to cutting the dividend if cash flows were to reduce.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 69.4% over the next year. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 55% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from MYR0.08 total annually to MYR0.05. This works out to be a decline of approximately 4.6% per year over that time. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. Beshom Holdings Berhad's earnings per share has shrunk at 26% a year over the past five years. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.

Beshom Holdings Berhad's 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 track record isn't great, and the payments are a bit high to be considered sustainable. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. To that end, Beshom Holdings Berhad has 3 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about. Is Beshom Holdings Berhad not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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.