Mitsubishi Estate (TSE:8802) Is Increasing Its Dividend To ¥21.00

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (TSE:8802) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 6th of December to ¥21.00. Despite this raise, the dividend yield of 1.7% is only a modest boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Mitsubishi Estate

Mitsubishi Estate's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. Based on the last payment, Mitsubishi Estate was earning enough to cover the dividend, but free cash flows weren't positive. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 6.1%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 32% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

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 ¥12.00 total annually to ¥43.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 14% per annum over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious.

We Could See Mitsubishi Estate's Dividend Growing

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that Mitsubishi Estate has grown earnings per share at 6.7% per year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

Our Thoughts On Mitsubishi Estate's Dividend

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. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

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. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Mitsubishi Estate that you should be aware of before investing. Is Mitsubishi Estate 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.