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If you are interested in cashing in on SITC International Holdings Company Limited’s (HKG:1308) upcoming dividend of US$0.15 per share, you only have 2 days left to buy the shares before its ex-dividend date, 30 August 2018, in time for dividends payable on the 14 September 2018. What does this mean for current shareholders and potential investors? Below, I will explain how holding SITC International Holdings can impact your portfolio income stream, by analysing the stock’s most recent financial data and dividend attributes.

View our latest analysis for SITC International Holdings

5 checks you should use to assess a dividend stock

Whenever I am looking at a potential dividend stock investment, I always check these five metrics:

• Is their annual yield among the top 25% of dividend payers?

• Has it consistently paid a stable dividend without missing a payment or drastically cutting payout?

• Has the amount of dividend per share grown over the past?

• Can it afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?

• Will it have the ability to keep paying its dividends going forward?

How well does SITC International Holdings fit our criteria?

The company currently pays out 60.9% of its earnings as a dividend, according to its trailing twelve-month data, which means that the dividend is covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a higher payout ratio of 72.4%, leading to a dividend yield of 7.8%. Moreover, EPS should increase to $0.082. The higher payout forecasted, along with higher earnings, should lead to greater dividend income for investors moving forward.

If dividend is a key criteria in your investment consideration, then you need to make sure the dividend stock you’re eyeing out is reliable in its payments. Unfortunately, it is really too early to view SITC International Holdings as a dividend investment. It has only been consistently paying dividends for 7 years, however, standard practice for reliable payers is to look for a 10-year minimum track record.

Relative to peers, SITC International Holdings produces a yield of 7.2%, which is high for Shipping stocks.

Next Steps:

With these dividend metrics in mind, I definitely rank SITC International Holdings as a strong income stock, and is worth further research for anyone who considers dividends an important part of their portfolio strategy. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the company’s fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. Below, I’ve compiled three fundamental aspects you should further research: