Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial Co., Ltd (SZSE:002444) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 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 because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Accordingly, Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial investors that purchase the stock on or after the 7th of December will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 7th of December.

The upcoming dividend for Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial will put a total of CN¥0.17 per share in shareholders' pockets, up from last year's total dividends of CN¥0.17. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

View our latest analysis for Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 12% of its income after tax. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. The good news is it paid out just 13% of its free cash flow in the last year.

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?

Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's comforting to see Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 22% per annum for the past five years. Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business.

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, Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial has lifted its dividend by approximately 2.9% a year on average. 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

Is Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's great that Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's disappointing to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, but as things stand now, the low payout ratio suggests a conservative approach to dividends, which we like. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.

So while Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Hangzhou Greatstar Industrial you should be aware of.

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.