The board of Yamatane Corporation (TSE:9305) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 2nd of December, with investors receiving ¥40.00 per share. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 2.9%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.
Check out our latest analysis for Yamatane
Yamatane's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Yamatane'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 could rise by 2.0% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 49%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was ¥35.00 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥90.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 9.9% per annum over that time. We have seen cuts in the past, so while the growth looks promising we would be a little bit cautious about its track record.
The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited
Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. However, Yamatane has only grown its earnings per share at 2.0% per annum over the past five years. Earnings growth is slow, but on the plus side, the dividend payout ratio is low and dividends could grow faster than earnings, if the company decides to increase its payout ratio.
In Summary
In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Yamatane's payments are rock solid. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've identified 4 warning signs for Yamatane (1 is a bit concerning!) 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.
About TSE:9305
Yamatane
Engages in the wholesale, import, and export of food and related products in Japan.
Slight second-rate dividend payer.
