Nippon Soda (TSE:4041) Will Pay A Dividend Of ¥120.00

The board of Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. (TSE:4041) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 5th of December, with investors receiving ¥120.00 per share. Based on this payment, the dividend yield will be 2.4%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Nippon Soda

Nippon Soda's Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Based on the last payment, Nippon Soda's earnings were much higher than the dividend, but it wasn't converting those earnings into cash flow. No cash flows could definitely make returning cash to shareholders difficult, or at least mean the balance sheet will come under pressure.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to fall by 1.7% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 49%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

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 ¥40.00 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥120.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12% a year over that time. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Nippon Soda has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 29% per annum. The company's earnings per share has grown rapidly in recent years, and it has a good balance between reinvesting and paying dividends to shareholders, so we think that Nippon Soda could prove to be a strong dividend payer.

Our Thoughts On Nippon Soda's Dividend

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Nippon Soda (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing. Is Nippon Soda 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.