Yahoo Finance 360 DigiTech's (NASDAQ:QFIN) Dividend Will Be Reduced To CN¥0.15
360 DigiTech, Inc. (NASDAQ:QFIN) is reducing its dividend from last year's comparable payment to CN¥0.15 on the 18th of January. However, the dividend yield of 4.5% is still a decent boost to shareholder returns.
Check out our latest analysis for 360 DigiTech
360 DigiTech's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. However, 360 DigiTech's earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 83.1%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 1.5% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
360 DigiTech Doesn't Have A Long Payment History
The company hasn't been paying a dividend for very long at all, so we can't really make a judgement on how stable the dividend has been. This doesn't mean that the company can't pay a good dividend, but just that we want to wait until it can prove itself.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Dividends have been going in the wrong direction, so we definitely want to see a different trend in the earnings per share. We are encouraged to see that 360 DigiTech has grown earnings per share at 77% per year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.
360 DigiTech Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
In general, we don't like to see the dividend being cut, especially when the company has such high potential like 360 DigiTech does. The cut will allow the company to continue paying out the dividend without putting the balance sheet under pressure, which means that it could remain sustainable for longer. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.
It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 3 warning signs for 360 DigiTech that you should be aware of before investing. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated 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.
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