Readers hoping to buy Cec Environmental Protection Co.,Ltd (SZSE:300172) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Meaning, you will need to purchase Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd's shares before the 28th of April to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 28th of April.

The company's next dividend payment will be CN¥0.05 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of CN¥0.05 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd has a trailing yield of 1.1% on the current share price of CN¥4.38. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

See our latest analysis for Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd's payout ratio is modest, at just 45% of profit. 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. It paid out more than half (57%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range 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 how much of its profit Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. With that in mind, we're discomforted by Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd's 8.6% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd has lifted its dividend by approximately 13% a year on average.

The Bottom Line

Should investors buy Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd for the upcoming dividend? Its earnings per share have been declining meaningfully, although it is paying out less than half its income and more than half its cash flow as dividends. Neither payout ratio appears an immediate concern, but we're concerned about the earnings. While it does have some good things going for it, we're a bit ambivalent and it would take more to convince us of Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd's dividend merits.

If you want to look further into Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd, it's worth knowing the risks this business faces. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Cec Environmental ProtectionLtd (1 can't be ignored!) that you ought to be aware of before buying the 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.