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 Guangdong Chj Industry Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:002345) is about to go ex-dividend in just three days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Meaning, you will need to purchase Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd's shares before the 6th of June to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 6th of June.

The company's next dividend payment will be CN¥0.25 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of CN¥0.25 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd has a trailing yield of 4.3% on the current share price of CN¥5.80. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

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. Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd paid out 64% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. 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. Dividends consumed 54% of the company's free cash flow last year, which is within a normal range for most dividend-paying organisations.

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?

Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. It's encouraging to see Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd has grown its earnings rapidly, up 37% a year for the past five years. Management appears to be striking a nice balance between reinvesting for growth and paying dividends to shareholders. With a reasonable payout ratio, profits being reinvested, and some earnings growth, Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd could have strong prospects for future increases to the dividend.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd has delivered 13% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.

To Sum It Up

Is Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's good to see earnings are growing, since all of the best dividend stocks grow their earnings meaningfully over the long run. That's why we're glad to see Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd's earnings per share growing, although as we saw, the company is paying out more than half of its earnings and cashflow - 64% and 54% respectively. Overall we're not hugely bearish on the stock, but there are likely better dividend investments out there.

In light of that, while Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Guangdong Chj IndustryLtd and you should be aware of it 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.