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Is It Smart To Buy Kerry Logistics Network Limited (HKG:636) Before It Goes Ex-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 Kerry Logistics Network Limited (HKG:636) is about to go ex-dividend in just 3 days. You can purchase shares before the 2nd of June in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 18th of June.

Kerry Logistics Network's next dividend payment will be HK$0.18 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of HK$0.27 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Kerry Logistics Network has a trailing yield of 2.6% on the current stock price of HK$10.3. 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! As a result, readers should always check whether Kerry Logistics Network has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

View our latest analysis for Kerry Logistics Network

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. Kerry Logistics Network paid out just 12% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. It distributed 28% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.

It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.

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

SEHK:636 Historical Dividend Yield May 28th 2020
SEHK:636 Historical Dividend Yield May 28th 2020

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 decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Fortunately for readers, Kerry Logistics Network's earnings per share have been growing at 18% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing rapidly and the company is retaining a majority of its earnings within the business. This will make it easier to fund future growth efforts and we think this is an attractive combination - plus the dividend can always be increased later.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, six years ago, Kerry Logistics Network has lifted its dividend by approximately 16% a year on average. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.

To Sum It Up

Has Kerry Logistics Network got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? We love that Kerry Logistics Network is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks Kerry Logistics Network is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Kerry Logistics Network (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

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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. 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. Thank you for reading.