Teijin (TSE:3401) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of ¥25.00

The board of Teijin Limited (TSE:3401) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥25.00 per share on the 30th of May. This makes the dividend yield 3.9%, which is above the industry average.

See our latest analysis for Teijin

Teijin's Distributions May Be Difficult To Sustain

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. The company is paying out a large amount of its cash flows, even though it isn't generating any profit. This makes us feel that the dividend will be hard to maintain.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 15.6% over the next year. The company seems to be going down the right path, but it will take a little bit longer than a year to cross over into profitability. Unfortunately, for the dividend to continue at current levels the company definitely needs to get there sooner rather than later.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from ¥20.00 total annually to ¥50.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 9.6% per annum over that time. We like to see dividends have grown at a reasonable rate, but with at least one substantial cut in the payments, we're not certain this dividend stock would be ideal for someone intending to live on the income.

The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Teijin's earnings per share has shrunk at 52% a year over the past five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend.

We're Not Big Fans Of Teijin's Dividend

In conclusion, we have some concerns about this dividend, even though it being raised is good. The company isn't making enough to be paying as much as it is, and the other factors don't look particularly promising either. Considering all of these factors, we wouldn't rely on this dividend if we wanted to live on the income.

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. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for Teijin 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.