HASEKO's (TSE:1808) Dividend Will Be ¥45.00

The board of HASEKO Corporation (TSE:1808) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥45.00 per share on the 8th of December. This will take the annual payment to 3.6% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

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HASEKO's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, HASEKO's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. 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.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 12.4% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 72% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

View our latest analysis for HASEKO

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was ¥10.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥90.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 25% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Come By

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. It's not great to see that HASEKO's earnings per share has fallen at approximately 6.2% per year over the past five years. If the company is making less over time, it naturally follows that it will also have to pay out less in dividends. Earnings are predicted to grow over the next year, but we would remain cautious until a track record of earnings growth is established.

The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think HASEKO's payments are rock solid. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Just as an example, we've come across 4 warning signs for HASEKO you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant. 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.