The board of First Juken Co., Ltd. (TSE:8917) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 19th of July, with investors receiving ¥21.00 per share. This makes the dividend yield 3.7%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
See our latest analysis for First Juken
First Juken's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. However, First Juken's earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
Looking forward, EPS could fall by 9.5% if the company can't turn things around from the last few years. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 42%, which is definitely feasible to continue.
First Juken Is Still Building Its Track Record
First Juken's dividend has been pretty stable for a little while now, but we will continue to be cautious until it has been demonstrated for a few more years. The last annual payment of ¥43.00 was flat on the annual payment from6 years ago. It's good to see at least some dividend growth. Yet with a relatively short dividend paying history, we wouldn't want to depend on this dividend too heavily.
Dividend Growth Is Doubtful
Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. It's not great to see that First Juken's earnings per share has fallen at approximately 9.5% per year over the past five years. 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.
In Summary
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. The company is generating plenty of cash, which could maintain the dividend for a while, but the track record hasn't been great. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for First Juken (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about. Is First Juken 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:8917
First Juken
Engages in the construction and sale of detached houses in Japan.
Flawless balance sheet, good value and pays a dividend.