SMC Corporation (TSE:6273) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥500.00 per share on the 2nd of December. This takes the annual payment to 1.6% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.
See our latest analysis for SMC
SMC's Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions
It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Based on the last payment, SMC was earning enough to cover the dividend, but free cash flows weren't positive. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.
The next year is set to see EPS grow by 7.6%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 41% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of ¥160.00 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of ¥1000.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 20% 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.
We Could See SMC's Dividend Growing
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. SMC has impressed us by growing EPS at 9.6% per year over the past five years. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for SMC's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.
In Summary
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think SMC's payments are rock solid. While SMC is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.
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. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 14 analysts we track are forecasting for SMC for free with public analyst estimates for the company. Is SMC 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.
About TSE:6273
SMC
Manufactures, processes, and sells automatic control equipment, sintered filters, and various types of filtration equipment worldwide.
Flawless balance sheet with moderate growth potential.
