The board of Icom Incorporated (TSE:6820) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 4th of December, with investors receiving ¥25.00 per share. This payment means that the dividend yield will be 2.8%, which is around the industry average.
See our latest analysis for Icom
Icom's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings
We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Prior to this announcement, Icom's dividend was only 43% of earnings, however it was paying out 525% of free cash flows. This signals that the company is more focused on returning cash flow to shareholders, but it could mean that the dividend is exposed to cuts in the future.
Over the next year, EPS could expand by 11.6% if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 42% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
Dividend Volatility
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of ¥30.00 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of ¥79.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 10% per annum over that time. Icom has grown distributions at a rapid rate despite cutting the dividend at least once in the past. Companies that cut once often cut again, so we would be cautious about buying this stock solely for the dividend income.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. It's encouraging to see that Icom has been growing its earnings per share at 12% a year over the past five years. The company is paying out a lot of its cash as a dividend, but it looks okay based on the payout ratio.
In Summary
In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Icom's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.
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. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Icom that investors should take into consideration. 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.
About TSE:6820
Icom
Manufactures and sells telecommunications equipment to individual and corporate customers primarily in Japan, the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, Australia, China, and Vietnam.
Flawless balance sheet second-rate dividend payer.
