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The board of UMS Integration Limited (SGX:558) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 23rd of May, with investors receiving SGD0.02 per share. The dividend yield will be 5.2% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.
See our latest analysis for UMS Integration
UMS Integration's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings
A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. At the time of the last dividend payment, UMS Integration was paying out a very large proportion of what it was earning and 186% of cash flows. Paying out such a high proportion of cash flows certainly exposes the company to cutting the dividend if cash flows were to reduce.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 91.6%. Assuming the dividend continues along the course it has been charting recently, our estimates show the payout ratio being 50% which brings it into quite a comfortable range.
Dividend Volatility
The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The dividend has gone from an annual total of SGD0.0384 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of SGD0.056. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 3.8% over that duration. 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.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
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. However, UMS Integration has only grown its earnings per share at 2.7% per annum over the past five years. There are exceptions, but limited earnings growth and a high payout ratio can signal that a company has reached maturity. This isn't the end of the world, but for investors looking for strong dividend growth they may want to look elsewhere.
UMS Integration's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about UMS Integration's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. The payments are bit high to be considered sustainable, and the track record isn't the best. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for UMS Integration that investors should take into consideration. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of 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.