AIT (TSE:9381) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of ¥40.00

AIT Corporation's (TSE:9381) investors are due to receive a payment of ¥40.00 per share on 28th of October. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 4.4%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for AIT

AIT's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. However, AIT's earnings easily cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business.

If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 15.8% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 58% 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. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from ¥16.00 total annually to ¥80.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 17% per annum over that time. AIT 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. AIT has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 16% per annum. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

AIT Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. 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 AIT 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.