Icom (TSE:6820) Is Paying Out A Dividend Of ¥25.00

Icom Incorporated (TSE:6820) will pay a dividend of ¥25.00 on the 3rd of December. This means that the annual payment will be 3.2% of the current stock price, which is in line with the average for the industry.

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Icom's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Based on the last dividend, Icom is earning enough to cover the payment, but then it makes up 254% of cash flows. While the company may be more focused on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business at this time, we think that a cash payout ratio this high might expose the dividend to being cut if the business ran into some challenges.

If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 11.7% over the next 12 months. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 52% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

See our latest analysis for Icom

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from ¥30.00 total annually to ¥96.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 12% over that duration. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that Icom has grown earnings per share at 12% per year over the past five years. While on an earnings basis, this company looks appealing as an income stock, the cash payout ratio still makes us cautious.

In Summary

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. While Icom is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Icom that you should be aware of before investing. 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.