USS (TSE:4732) Is Increasing Its Dividend To ¥38.40

USS Co., Ltd.'s (TSE:4732) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to ¥38.40 on 21st of June. This will take the annual payment to 2.9% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay.

View our latest analysis for USS

USS' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, USS was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that a lot of the earnings are being reinvested into the business, with the aim of fueling growth.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 1.5%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 57%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

USS Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The dividend has gone from an annual total of ¥31.90 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of ¥76.80. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 9.2% per annum over that time. Companies like this can be very valuable over the long term, if the decent rate of growth can be maintained.

USS Could Grow Its Dividend

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. It's encouraging to see that USS has been growing its earnings per share at 6.6% a year over the past five years. Shareholders are getting plenty of the earnings returned to them, which combined with strong growth makes this quite appealing.

We Really Like USS' Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that USS is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 4 USS analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. 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.