Yahoo Finance Only 4 Days Left To Cash In On Michael Hill International Limited's (ASX:MHJ) Dividend
Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Michael Hill International Limited (ASX:MHJ) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. Investors can purchase shares before the 12th of March in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 27th of March.
Michael Hill International's upcoming dividend is AU$0.015 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of AU$0.03 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Michael Hill International has a trailing yield of 5.7% on the current stock price of A$0.53. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Michael Hill International's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
See our latest analysis for Michael Hill International
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Michael Hill International is paying out an acceptable 58% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. It distributed 25% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.
It's positive to see that Michael Hill International's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's not ideal to see Michael Hill International's earnings per share have been shrinking at 4.6% a year over the previous five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Michael Hill International has seen its dividend decline 12% per annum on average over the past four years, which is not great to see. While it's not great that earnings and dividends per share have fallen in recent years, we're encouraged by the fact that management has trimmed the dividend rather than risk over-committing the company in a risky attempt to maintain yields to shareholders.
The Bottom Line
Is Michael Hill International worth buying for its dividend? We're not enthused by the declining earnings per share, although at least the company's payout ratio is within a reasonable range, meaning it may not be at imminent risk of a dividend cut. Overall we're not hugely bearish on the stock, but there are likely better dividend investments out there.
With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Michael Hill International, you should know about the other risks facing this business. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Michael Hill International you should know about.
A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
