Hongkong Land Holdings Limited (SGX:H78) Stock Goes Ex-Dividend In Just Four Days

Readers hoping to buy Hongkong Land Holdings Limited (SGX:H78) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be two business days before the record date, which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Therefore, if you purchase Hongkong Land Holdings' shares on or after the 20th of March, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 14th of May.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.17 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.23 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Hongkong Land Holdings stock has a trailing yield of around 5.2% on the current share price of US$4.39. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Hongkong Land Holdings

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. Hongkong Land Holdings lost money last year, so the fact that it's paying a dividend is certainly disconcerting. There might be a good reason for this, but we'd want to look into it further before getting comfortable. Considering the lack of profitability, we also need to check if the company generated enough cash flow to cover the dividend payment. If cash earnings don't cover the dividend, the company would have to pay dividends out of cash in the bank, or by borrowing money, neither of which is long-term sustainable. Over the last year, it paid out more than three-quarters (81%) of its free cash flow generated, which is fairly high and may be starting to limit reinvestment in the business.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Hongkong Land Holdings reported a loss last year, but at least the general trend suggests its income has been improving over the past five years. Even so, an unprofitable company whose business does not quickly recover is usually not a good candidate for dividend investors.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Hongkong Land Holdings has lifted its dividend by approximately 2.5% a year on average. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Hongkong Land Holdings is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business.

We update our analysis on Hongkong Land Holdings every 24 hours, so you can always get the latest insights on its financial health, here.

The Bottom Line

Has Hongkong Land Holdings got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? We're a bit uncomfortable with it paying a dividend while being loss-making. However, we note that the dividend was covered by cash flow. To summarise, Hongkong Land Holdings looks okay on this analysis, although it doesn't appear a stand-out opportunity.

So if you want to do more digging on Hongkong Land Holdings, you'll find it worthwhile knowing the risks that this stock faces. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Hongkong Land Holdings and you should be aware of this before buying any shares.

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top 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.