EXEDY (TSE:7278) Has Announced A Dividend Of ¥100.00

The board of EXEDY Corporation (TSE:7278) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 25th of June, with investors receiving ¥100.00 per share. This takes the dividend yield to 4.5%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Investors will be pleased to see that EXEDY's stock price has increased by 48% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.

View our latest analysis for EXEDY

EXEDY's Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Even though EXEDY isn't generating a profit, it is generating healthy free cash flows that easily cover the dividend. We generally think that cash flow is more important than accounting measures of profit, so we are fairly comfortable with the dividend at this level.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to expand by 65.4% over the next year. While it is good to see income moving in the right direction, it still looks like the company won't achieve profitability. However, the positive cash flow ratio gives us some comfort about the sustainability of the dividend.

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 ¥50.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥200.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 15% over that duration. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Over the past five years, it looks as though EXEDY's EPS has declined at around 31% a year. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in 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.

EXEDY's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think EXEDY's payments are rock solid. The company is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for EXEDY 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.