Kinden Corporation's (TSE:1944) investors are due to receive a payment of ¥60.00 per share on 26th of June. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 1.7%, which is below the industry average.
While the dividend yield is important for income investors, it is also important to consider any large share price moves, as this will generally outweigh any gains from distributions. Investors will be pleased to see that Kinden's stock price has increased by 31% in the last 3 months, which is good for shareholders and can also explain a decrease in the dividend yield.
Even a low dividend yield can be attractive if it is sustained for years on end. Prior to this announcement, Kinden's dividend was only 35% of earnings, however it was paying out 925% 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.
Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 6.1%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 43% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
View our latest analysis for Kinden
Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from ¥16.00 total annually to ¥120.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 22% a year over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.
Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. Kinden has impressed us by growing EPS at 15% per year over the past five years. Kinden definitely has the potential to grow its dividend in the future with earnings on an uptrend and a low payout ratio.
Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Kinden will make a great income stock. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For instance, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Kinden that investors should take into consideration. Is Kinden not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.