HORIBA (TSE:6856) Has Announced A Dividend Of ¥165.00

The board of HORIBA, Ltd. (TSE:6856) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 4th of March, with investors receiving ¥165.00 per share. The dividend yield of 2.7% is still a nice boost to shareholder returns, despite the cut.

Check out our latest analysis for HORIBA

HORIBA's Payment Could Potentially Have Solid Earnings Coverage

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. However, based ont he last payment, HORIBA was earning enough to cover the dividend pretty comfortably. However, with more than 75% of free cash flow being paid out to shareholders, future growth could potentially be constrained.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 11.0%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 32%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the annual payment back then was ¥60.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥245.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 15% over that duration. HORIBA 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

Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. It's encouraging to see that HORIBA has been growing its earnings per share at 14% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.

Our Thoughts On HORIBA's Dividend

In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. The company hasn't been paying a very consistent dividend over time, despite only paying out a small portion of earnings. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 2 warning signs for HORIBA that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. 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.