Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad (KLSE:AMWAY) Stock Goes Ex-Dividend In Just Three Days

Readers hoping to buy Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad (KLSE:AMWAY) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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 important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Accordingly, Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad investors that purchase the stock on or after the 2nd of December will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 17th of December.

The company's next dividend payment will be RM0.05 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed RM0.28 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad has a trailing yield of 5.0% on the current share price of MYR5.53. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to investigate whether Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

See our latest analysis for Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad

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. It paid out 82% 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. We'd be worried about the risk of a drop in earnings. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It paid out 18% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low.

It's positive to see that Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad'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 the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 8.9% 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.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad's dividend payments per share have declined at 8.4% per year on average over the past 10 years, which is uninspiring. While it's not great that earnings and dividends per share have fallen in recent years, we're encouraged by the fact that management has trimmed the dividend rather than risk over-committing the company in a risky attempt to maintain yields to shareholders.

Final Takeaway

Is Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We're not enthused by the declining earnings per share, although at least the company's payout ratio is within a reasonable range, meaning it may not be at imminent risk of a dividend cut. Overall we're not hugely bearish on the stock, but there are likely better dividend investments out there.

With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad, you should know about the other risks facing this business. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.

A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

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.

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