Shinwa (TSE:7607) Will Pay A Dividend Of ¥50.00

The board of Shinwa Co., Ltd. (TSE:7607) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 8th of May, with investors receiving ¥50.00 per share. This will take the annual payment to 4.1% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

Check out our latest analysis for Shinwa

Shinwa's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, Shinwa was earning enough to cover the dividend, but it wasn't generating any free 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.

Unless the company can turn things around, EPS could fall by 6.5% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could be 63%, which we are pretty comfortable with and we think is feasible on an earnings basis.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was ¥36.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥100.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% 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.

Dividend Growth Is Doubtful

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. In the last five years, Shinwa's earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 6.5% per annum. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed.

Shinwa's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Shinwa will make a great income stock. While Shinwa is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Shinwa 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.