Be Sure To Check Out Applied Co.,Ltd. (TSE:3020) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend

Applied Co.,Ltd. (TSE:3020) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days. The ex-dividend date generally occurs two days before the record date, which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade can take two business days or more to settle. Meaning, you will need to purchase AppliedLtd's shares before the 29th of September to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 5th of December.

The company's next dividend payment will be JP¥30.00 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of JP¥100.00 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, AppliedLtd stock has a trailing yield of around 2.5% on the current share price of JP¥3990.00. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether AppliedLtd has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

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If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. AppliedLtd is paying out just 15% of its profit after tax, which is comfortably low and leaves plenty of breathing room in the case of adverse events. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 9.0% of its cash flow last year.

It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.

Check out our latest analysis for AppliedLtd

Click here to see how much of its profit AppliedLtd paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. This is why it's a relief to see AppliedLtd earnings per share are up 8.9% per annum over the last five years. Earnings per share have been increasing steadily and management is reinvesting almost all of the profits back into the business. If profits are reinvested effectively, this could be a bullish combination for future earnings and dividends.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, AppliedLtd has lifted its dividend by approximately 13% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

Final Takeaway

Has AppliedLtd got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Earnings per share have been growing moderately, and AppliedLtd is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends, which is an attractive combination as it suggests the company is investing in growth. We would prefer to see earnings growing faster, but the best dividend stocks over the long term typically combine significant earnings per share growth with a low payout ratio, and AppliedLtd is halfway there. There's a lot to like about AppliedLtd, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

On that note, you'll want to research what risks AppliedLtd is facing. For example - AppliedLtd has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are 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.