Wing Tai Holdings (SGX:W05) Has Announced A Dividend Of SGD0.05

Wing Tai Holdings Limited (SGX:W05) will pay a dividend of SGD0.05 on the 16th of November. This means that the annual payment will be 3.5% of the current stock price, which is in line with the average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Wing Tai Holdings

Wing Tai Holdings Is Paying Out More Than It Is Earning

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Based on the last payment, earnings were actually smaller than the dividend, and the company was actually spending more cash than it was making. This high of a dividend payment could start to put pressure on the balance sheet in the future.

If the company can't turn things around, EPS could fall by 50.2% over the next year. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 1,158%, which is definitely a bit high to be sustainable going 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 annual payment back then was SGD0.07, compared to the most recent full-year payment of SGD0.05. Doing the maths, this is a decline of about 3.3% per year. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Over the past five years, it looks as though Wing Tai Holdings' EPS has declined at around 50% a year. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future.

We're Not Big Fans Of Wing Tai Holdings' Dividend

Overall, this isn't a great candidate as an income investment, even though the dividend was stable this year. The company isn't making enough to be paying as much as it is, and the other factors don't look particularly promising either. Considering all of these factors, we wouldn't rely on this dividend if we wanted to live on the income.

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. To that end, Wing Tai Holdings has 4 warning signs (and 2 which are potentially serious) we think you should know about. 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.