Alinco (TSE:5933) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of ¥21.00

Alinco Incorporated's (TSE:5933) investors are due to receive a payment of ¥21.00 per share on 22nd of November. This makes the dividend yield 4.0%, which is above the industry average.

View our latest analysis for Alinco

Alinco's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Alinco'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.

Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 1.5% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 42% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Alinco Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The dividend has gone from an annual total of ¥34.00 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of ¥44.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 2.6% over that duration. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.

Alinco May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Although it's important to note that Alinco's earnings per share has basically not grown from where it was five years ago, which could erode the purchasing power of the dividend over time. Earnings growth is slow, but on the plus side, the dividend payout ratio is low and dividends could grow faster than earnings, if the company decides to increase its payout ratio.

In Summary

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. While Alinco is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. To that end, Alinco has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are significant) we think you should know about. Is Alinco not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.

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