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 Lion Rock Group Limited (HKG:1127) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled 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. Accordingly, Lion Rock Group investors that purchase the stock on or after the 13th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 29th of September.

The company's next dividend payment will be HK$0.03 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of HK$0.10 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Lion Rock Group has a trailing yield of 9.3% on the current share price of HK$1.07. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Lion Rock Group's dividend is reliable and sustainable. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Lion Rock Group

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. Lion Rock Group paid out a comfortable 49% of its profit last year. 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. Over the last year it paid out 53% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.

It's positive to see that Lion Rock Group'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.

Click here to see how much of its profit Lion Rock Group paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks with flat earnings can still be attractive dividend payers, but it is important to be more conservative with your approach and demand a greater margin for safety when it comes to dividend sustainability. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That explains why we're not overly excited about Lion Rock Group's flat earnings over the past five years. It's better than seeing them drop, certainly, but over the long term, all of the best dividend stocks are able to meaningfully grow their earnings per share. Earnings growth has been slim and the company is paying out more than half 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. In the past 10 years, Lion Rock Group has increased its dividend at approximately 9.6% a year on average.

To Sum It Up

Should investors buy Lion Rock Group for the upcoming dividend? Lion Rock Group has struggled to grow earnings per share, and it's paying out less than half of its earnings and more than half its cash flow to shareholders as dividends. While it does have some good things going for it, we're a bit ambivalent and it would take more to convince us of Lion Rock Group's dividend merits.

In light of that, while Lion Rock Group has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Lion Rock Group and you should be aware of them before buying any shares.

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.