Far East Holdings Berhad (KLSE:FAREAST) Is Increasing Its Dividend To MYR0.10

The board of Far East Holdings Berhad (KLSE:FAREAST) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of MYR0.10 on the 6th of July, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This will take the annual payment to 5.3% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

See our latest analysis for Far East Holdings Berhad

Far East Holdings Berhad's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Far East Holdings Berhad was quite comfortably covering its dividend with earnings and it was paying more than 75% of its free cash flow to shareholders. By paying out so much of its cash flows, this could indicate that the company has limited opportunities for investment and growth.

Over the next year, EPS could expand by 13.8% if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 50% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of MYR0.0357 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of MYR0.20. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 19% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Far East Holdings Berhad has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 14% per annum. The company is paying a reasonable amount of earnings to shareholders, and is growing earnings at a decent rate so we think it could be a decent dividend stock.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Far East Holdings Berhad's payments are rock solid. The company hasn't been paying a very consistent dividend over time, despite only paying out a small portion of earnings. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Far East Holdings Berhad that investors should take into consideration. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.

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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.