Ohara (TSE:5218) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year

Ohara Inc.'s (TSE:5218) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to ¥25.00 on 30th of January. This makes the dividend yield 2.1%, which is above the industry average.

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Ohara's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, Ohara was paying only paying out a fraction of earnings, but the payment was a massive 128% of cash flows. The business might be trying to strike a balance between returning cash to shareholders and reinvesting back into the business, but this high of a payout ratio could definitely force the dividend to be cut if the company runs into a bit of a tough spot.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 7.1%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 39%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

View our latest analysis for Ohara

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from ¥10.00 total annually to ¥25.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.6% a year over that time. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. Ohara might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Ohara has impressed us by growing EPS at 43% per year over the past five years. 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

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Ohara's payments are rock solid. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Ohara that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield 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.