Is It Worth Considering Deleum Berhad (KLSE:DELEUM) For Its Upcoming Dividend?
Readers hoping to buy Deleum Berhad (KLSE:DELEUM) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is two business days before a company's record date in most cases, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Accordingly, Deleum Berhad investors that purchase the stock on or after the 14th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of September.
The company's upcoming dividend is RM00.035 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of RM0.093 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Deleum Berhad stock has a trailing yield of around 8.3% on the current share price of RM01.12. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether Deleum Berhad has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
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. Deleum Berhad paid out more than half (61%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. 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. Dividends consumed 53% of the company's free cash flow last year, which is within a normal range for most dividend-paying organisations.
It's positive to see that Deleum Berhad'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.
See our latest analysis for Deleum Berhad
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. That's why it's comforting to see Deleum Berhad's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 43% per annum for the past five years. The current payout ratio suggests a good balance between rewarding shareholders with dividends, and reinvesting in growth. Earnings per share have been growing quickly and in combination with some reinvestment and a middling payout ratio, the stock may have decent dividend prospects going forwards.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Deleum Berhad has delivered 5.4% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. It's good to see both earnings and the dividend have improved - although the former has been rising much quicker than the latter, possibly due to the company reinvesting more of its profits in growth.
To Sum It Up
From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Deleum Berhad? Higher earnings per share generally lead to higher dividends from dividend-paying stocks over the long run. However, we'd also note that Deleum Berhad is paying out more than half of its earnings and cash flow as profits, which could limit the dividend growth if earnings growth slows. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there.
With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Deleum Berhad and you should be aware of this before buying any shares.
Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.
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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.