Stock Analysis
The board of Amada Co., Ltd. (TSE:6113) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 5th of December, with investors receiving ¥31.00 per share. This takes the dividend yield to 4.2%, which shareholders will be pleased with.
See our latest analysis for Amada
Amada's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage
While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, Amada was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.
Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 11.7% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 56% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
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 ¥14.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥62.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 16% 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's Growth Prospects Are Limited
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Earnings have grown at around 4.9% a year for the past five years, which isn't massive but still better than seeing them shrink. Growth of 4.9% per annum is not particularly high, which might explain why the company is paying out a higher proportion of earnings. This could mean the dividend doesn't have the growth potential we look for going into the future.
Our Thoughts On Amada's Dividend
In summary, it's great to see that the company can raise the dividend and keep it in a sustainable range. The dividend has been at reasonable levels historically, but that hasn't translated into a consistent payment. The dividend looks okay, but there have been some issues in the past, so we would be a little bit cautious.
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. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Amada that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.
About TSE:6113
Amada
Manufactures, sells, leases, repairs, maintains, checks, and inspects metalworking machinery, software, and peripheral equipment in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally.