Yamaura Corporation's (TSE:1780) investors are due to receive a payment of ¥13.00 per share on 8th of December. Even though the dividend went up, the yield is still quite low at only 2.0%.
Yamaura's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage
It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Yamaura's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.
Over the next year, EPS could expand by 25.3% if recent trends continue. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 16% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Check out our latest analysis for Yamaura
Dividend Volatility
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was ¥5.00 in 2015, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥26.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 18% per annum over that time. 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 Looks Likely To Grow
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. We are encouraged to see that Yamaura has grown earnings per share at 25% per year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.
In Summary
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Yamaura will make a great income stock. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. 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. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Yamaura (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.
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