Treasure FactoryLTD (TSE:3093) Is Increasing Its Dividend To ¥18.00

The board of Treasure Factory Co.,LTD. (TSE:3093) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of ¥18.00 on the 1st of November, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This takes the dividend yield to 1.5%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Investors will be pleased to see that Treasure FactoryLTD's stock price has increased by 30% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.

View our latest analysis for Treasure FactoryLTD

Treasure FactoryLTD's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Treasure FactoryLTD's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. 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 12.8%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 33%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Treasure FactoryLTD's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

It's comforting to see that Treasure FactoryLTD has been paying a dividend for a number of years now, however it has been cut at least once in that time. This makes us cautious about the consistency of the dividend over a full economic cycle. The annual payment during the last 9 years was ¥5.50 in 2015, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥32.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 22% over that duration. 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.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Treasure FactoryLTD has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 31% per annum. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.

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

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Treasure FactoryLTD that investors should take into consideration. Is Treasure FactoryLTD 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.

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