Nankai Electric Railway (TSE:9044) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of ¥25.00

Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (TSE:9044) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥25.00 per share on the 19th of June. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 1.8%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.

AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early.

Nankai Electric Railway's Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Nankai Electric Railway is quite easily earning enough to cover the dividend, however it is being let down by weak cash flows. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 0.7% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 23% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

See our latest analysis for Nankai Electric Railway

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 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of ¥50.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.2% a year over that time. It's good to see the dividend growing at a decent rate, but the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. Nankai Electric Railway might have put its house in order since then, but we remain cautious.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

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. Nankai Electric Railway has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 35% per annum. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggest this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future.

Our Thoughts On Nankai Electric Railway's Dividend

Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. To that end, Nankai Electric Railway has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about. 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.