JB Foods (SGX:BEW) Has Announced A Dividend Of $0.002

JB Foods Limited's (SGX:BEW) investors are due to receive a payment of $0.002 per share on 22nd of September. The dividend yield is 3.3% based on this payment, which is a little bit low compared to the other companies in the industry.

View our latest analysis for JB Foods

JB Foods' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. JB Foods is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.

EPS is set to fall by 9.3% over the next 12 months if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 30%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $0.0533, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.0132. The dividend has fallen 75% over that period. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Come By

With a relatively unstable dividend, and a poor history of shrinking dividends, it's even more important to see if EPS is growing. In the last five years, JB Foods' earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 9.3% per annum. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed.

The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 3 warning signs for JB Foods you should be aware of, and 2 of them shouldn't be ignored. 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.