Tokyu (TSE:9005) Is Increasing Its Dividend To ¥10.00

Tokyu Corporation (TSE:9005) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 1st of July to ¥10.00. This takes the annual payment to 1.0% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

View our latest analysis for Tokyu

Tokyu's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. Prior to this announcement, Tokyu's 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.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 9.2%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 19% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The annual payment during the last 10 years was ¥15.00 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥20.00. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 2.9% over that duration. It's encouraging to see some dividend growth, but the dividend has been cut at least once, and the size of the cut would eliminate most of the growth anyway, which makes this less attractive as an income investment.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

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. Unfortunately, Tokyu's earnings per share has been essentially flat over the past five years, which means the dividend may not be increased each year.

Tokyu's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Tokyu's payments are rock solid. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Tokyu that you should be aware of before investing. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.