NEXTAGE (TSE:3186) Is Increasing Its Dividend To ¥33.00

NEXTAGE Co., Ltd. (TSE:3186) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 26th of February to ¥33.00. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 1.5%.

View our latest analysis for NEXTAGE

NEXTAGE's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. NEXTAGE is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 102.3% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 15% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

NEXTAGE Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The annual payment during the last 10 years was ¥0.896 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥33.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 43% per annum over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. NEXTAGE has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 20% per annum. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think NEXTAGE's payments are rock solid. While NEXTAGE is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for NEXTAGE (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of 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.

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