Okamura's (TSE:7994) Dividend Will Be Increased To ¥45.00

Okamura Corporation's (TSE:7994) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to ¥45.00 on 9th of December. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 4.1%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Okamura

Okamura's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. The last payment was quite easily covered by earnings, but it made up 198% of cash flows. This signals that the company is more focused on returning cash flow to shareholders, but it could mean that the dividend is exposed to cuts in the future.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 3.4%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 45% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Okamura Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was ¥14.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥90.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 20% over that duration. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. We are encouraged to see that Okamura has grown earnings per share at 18% per year over the past five years. The lack of cash flows does make us a bit cautious though, especially when it comes to the future of the dividend.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Okamura's payments are rock solid. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

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 instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Okamura that investors should take into consideration. 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.

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