Acom (TSE:8572) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

Acom Co., Ltd. (TSE:8572) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 2nd of December to ¥7.00. This takes the annual payment to 3.7% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Acom

Acom's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. Based on the last payment, Acom was earning enough to cover the dividend, but free cash flows weren't positive. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 14.6% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 44% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Acom Is Still Building Its Track Record

It is great to see that Acom has been paying a stable dividend for a number of years now, however we want to be a bit cautious about whether this will remain true through a full economic cycle. The annual payment during the last 6 years was ¥2.00 in 2018, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥14.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 38% a year over that time. Acom has been growing its dividend quite rapidly, which is exciting. However, the short payment history makes us question whether this performance will persist across a full market cycle.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Earnings has been rising at 3.1% per annum over the last five years, which admittedly is a bit slow. 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

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. 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.

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 Acom (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about. 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.