Ahresty (TSE:5852) Will Pay A Dividend Of ¥10.00

Ahresty Corporation (TSE:5852) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥10.00 per share on the 6th of June. The payment will take the dividend yield to 2.4%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Ahresty

Ahresty's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. However, prior to this announcement, Ahresty's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Over the next year, EPS could expand by 1.4% if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 31%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The annual payment during the last 10 years was ¥9.00 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥20.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 8.3% over that duration. We like to see dividends have grown at a reasonable rate, but with at least one substantial cut in the payments, we're not certain this dividend stock would be ideal for someone intending to live on the income.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. Ahresty hasn't seen much change in its earnings per share over the last five years. If Ahresty is struggling to find viable investments, it always has the option to increase its payout ratio to pay more to shareholders.

In Summary

Overall, this is a reasonable dividend, and it being raised is an added bonus. While the payout ratios are a good sign, we are less enthusiastic about the company's dividend record. Taking all of this into consideration, the dividend looks viable moving forward, but investors should be mindful that the company has pushed the boundaries of sustainability in the past and may do so again.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For instance, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Ahresty that investors should take into consideration. 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.