It looks like Shenzhen Bsc Technology Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:300951) is about to go ex-dividend in the next day or two. 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 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. Accordingly, Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd investors that purchase the stock on or after the 23rd of May will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 23rd of May.

The company's next dividend payment will be CN¥1.00 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed CN¥1.00 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd has a trailing yield of 2.4% on the current share price of CN¥41.45. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is 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. Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd paid out a comfortable 50% of its profit last year. 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. It paid out 98% of its free cash flow in the form of dividends last year, which is outside the comfort zone for most businesses. Cash flows are usually much more volatile than earnings, so this could be a temporary effect - but we'd generally want to look more closely here.

Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd paid out less in dividends than it reported in profits, but unfortunately it didn't generate enough cash to cover the dividend. Were this to happen repeatedly, this would be a risk to Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd's ability to maintain its dividend.

Click here to see how much of its profit Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd paid out over the last 12 months.

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. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd, with earnings per share up 3.2% on average over the last five years. Earnings have been growing somewhat, but we're concerned dividend payments consumed most of the company's cash flow over the past year.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the last three years, Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd has lifted its dividend by approximately 6.3% 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.

Final Takeaway

Should investors buy Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd for the upcoming dividend? Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd delivered reasonable earnings per share growth in recent times, and paid out less than half its profits and 98% of its cash flow over the last year, which is a mediocre outcome. It might be worth researching if the company is reinvesting in growth projects that could grow earnings and dividends in the future, but for now we're not all that optimistic on its dividend prospects.

However if you're still interested in Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd as a potential investment, you should definitely consider some of the risks involved with Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd you should be aware of.

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield 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.