L.K. Technology Holdings Limited's (HKG:558) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to HK$0.05 on 2nd of October. This makes the dividend yield 3.8%, which is above the industry average.
See our latest analysis for L.K. Technology Holdings
L.K. Technology Holdings' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Prior to this announcement, L.K. Technology Holdings' earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 48.7%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 21%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
L.K. Technology Holdings' Dividend Has Lacked Consistency
Looking back, L.K. Technology Holdings' dividend hasn't been particularly consistent. Due to this, we are a little bit cautious about the dividend consistency over a full economic cycle. The dividend has gone from an annual total of HK$0.0327 in 2016 to the most recent total annual payment of HK$0.10. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 15% over that duration. Despite the rapid growth in the dividend over the past number of years, we have seen the payments go down the past as well, so that makes us cautious.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. It's encouraging to see that L.K. Technology Holdings has been growing its earnings per share at 20% a year over the past five years. L.K. Technology Holdings definitely has the potential to grow its dividend in the future with earnings on an uptrend and a low payout ratio.
In Summary
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think L.K. Technology Holdings will make a great income stock. 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.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for L.K. Technology Holdings (of which 1 is significant!) you should know about. Is L.K. Technology Holdings not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out 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.