Perfect Medical Health Management Limited's (HKG:1830) investors are due to receive a payment of HK$0.076 per share on 31st of December. The yield is still above the industry average at 9.1%.
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, Perfect Medical Health Management's dividend was higher than its profits, but the free cash flows quite comfortably covered it. Healthy cash flows are always a positive sign, especially when they quite easily cover the dividend.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 103.0% over the next year. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 53% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward.
See our latest analysis for Perfect Medical Health Management
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. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from HK$0.114 total annually to HK$0.129. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 1.2% a year over that time. Modest growth in the dividend is good to see, but we think this is offset by historical cuts to the payments. It is hard to live on a dividend income if the company's earnings are not consistent.
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. Earnings per share has been sinking by 11% over the last five years. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited.
Overall, it's not great to see that the dividend has been cut, but this might be explained by the payments being a bit high previously. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. 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. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Perfect Medical Health Management that you should be aware of before investing. 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.