Sotetsu Holdings (TSE:9003) Is Increasing Its Dividend To ¥30.00

Sotetsu Holdings, Inc. (TSE:9003) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 1st of July to ¥30.00. This takes the annual payment to 1.5% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Sotetsu Holdings

Sotetsu Holdings' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Sotetsu Holdings' earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. With the company not bringing in any cash, paying out to shareholders is bound to become difficult at some point.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 12.9%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 28% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of ¥25.00 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of ¥40.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 4.8% over that duration. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.

Sotetsu Holdings May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. In the last five years, Sotetsu Holdings' earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 4.0% per annum. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth. Earnings are predicted to grow over the next year, but we would remain cautious until a track record of earnings growth is established.

Sotetsu Holdings' Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Sotetsu Holdings' payments are rock solid. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Sotetsu Holdings 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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