Sojitz's (TSE:2768) Dividend Will Be ¥75.00

Sojitz Corporation (TSE:2768) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥75.00 per share on the 19th of June. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 4.8%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for Sojitz

Sojitz's Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Sojitz is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 7.0%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 36% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was ¥20.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥150.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 22% a year 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. It's encouraging to see that Sojitz has been growing its earnings per share at 12% a year over the past five years. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Sojitz's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.

In Summary

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Sojitz will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

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. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Sojitz (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) 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.