Unipres Corporation (TSE:5949) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 4th of December to ¥30.00. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 4.8%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.
Check out our latest analysis for Unipres
Unipres' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. However, prior to this announcement, Unipres' 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 is forecast to expand by 22.5%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 34% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Dividend Volatility
While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was ¥25.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥60.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 9.1% per annum over that time. A reasonable rate of dividend growth is good to see, but we're wary that the dividend history is not as solid as we'd like, having been cut at least once.
The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential
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. Unipres' earnings per share has shrunk at 15% a year over the past five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.
In Summary
Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. We don't think Unipres is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. To that end, Unipres has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of 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.
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About TSE:5949
Undervalued with excellent balance sheet and pays a dividend.
