Hunan Zhongke Electric Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300035) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 2 days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase Hunan Zhongke Electric's shares before the 5th of June in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 5th of June.

The company's next dividend payment will be CN¥0.15 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of CN¥0.15 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Hunan Zhongke Electric has a trailing yield of 1.6% on the current share price of CN¥9.57. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Hunan Zhongke Electric's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Hunan Zhongke Electric 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. Hunan Zhongke Electric paid out more than half (54%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Hunan Zhongke Electric generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 26% 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.

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. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Hunan Zhongke Electric, with earnings per share up 3.1% on average over the last five years. Earnings per share growth has been slim, and the company is already paying out a majority of its earnings. While there is some room to both increase the payout ratio and reinvest in the business, generally the higher a payout ratio goes, the lower a company's prospects for future growth.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Hunan Zhongke Electric has lifted its dividend by approximately 6.9% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

To Sum It Up

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Hunan Zhongke Electric? Earnings per share growth has been modest and Hunan Zhongke Electric paid out over half of its profits and less than half of its free cash flow, although both payout ratios are within normal limits. While it does have some good things going for it, we're a bit ambivalent and it would take more to convince us of Hunan Zhongke Electric's dividend merits.

So while Hunan Zhongke Electric looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Hunan Zhongke Electric and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking 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.