The board of Asante Incorporated (TSE:6073) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥31.00 per share on the 2nd of December. This means the annual payment is 3.7% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.
Check out our latest analysis for Asante
Asante's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage
If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Based on the last payment, the company wasn't making enough to cover what it was paying to shareholders. This situation certainly isn't ideal, and could place significant strain on the balance sheet if it continues.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 19.9%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, our estimates say the payout ratio could reach 95% - on the higher side, but we wouldn't necessarily say this is unsustainable.
Asante Doesn't Have A Long Payment History
The company has maintained a consistent dividend for a few years now, but we would like to see a longer track record before relying on it. Since 2020, the dividend has gone from ¥60.00 total annually to ¥62.00. Dividend payments have grown at less than 1% a year over this period. Asante hasn't been paying a dividend for very long, so we wouldn't get to excited about its record of growth just yet.
Dividend Growth Is Doubtful
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. Over the past five years, it looks as though Asante's EPS has declined at around 9.3% a year. 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. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.
We're Not Big Fans Of Asante's Dividend
Overall, while some might be pleased that the dividend wasn't cut, we think this may help Asante make more consistent payments in the future. The company isn't making enough to be paying as much as it is, and the other factors don't look particularly promising either. Overall, this doesn't get us very excited from an income standpoint.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Asante that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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:6073
Excellent balance sheet with limited growth.
