Himax Technologies' (NASDAQ:HIMX) Dividend Is Being Reduced To $0.47

Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HIMX) is reducing its dividend from last year's comparable payment to $0.47 on the 12th of July. However, the dividend yield of 6.3% is still a decent boost to shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for Himax Technologies

Himax Technologies' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Prior to this announcement, Himax Technologies' dividend was only 35% of earnings, however it was paying out 127% of free cash flows. The business might be trying to strike a balance between returning cash to shareholders and reinvesting back into the business, but this high of a payout ratio could definitely force the dividend to be cut if the company runs into a bit of a tough spot.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 17.0% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 60% 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 2013, the annual payment back then was $0.126, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $0.48. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 14% per annum over that time. Despite the rapid growth in the dividend over the past number of years, we have seen the payments go down the past as well, so that makes us cautious.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. It's encouraging to see that Himax Technologies has been growing its earnings per share at 41% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.

In Summary

In summary, dividends being cut isn't ideal, however it can bring the payment into a more sustainable range. 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.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. 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 2 warning signs for Himax Technologies 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.

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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.