Kyoritsu Maintenance (TSE:9616) Will Pay A Dividend Of ¥23.00

The board of Kyoritsu Maintenance Co., Ltd. (TSE:9616) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥23.00 per share on the 29th of June. This takes the dividend yield to 1.5%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

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Kyoritsu Maintenance's Projected Earnings Seem Likely To Cover Future Distributions

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Prior to this announcement, Kyoritsu Maintenance's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. In general, we consider cash flow to be more important than earnings, so we would be cautious about relying on the sustainability of this dividend.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 7.7% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 25% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Check out our latest analysis for Kyoritsu Maintenance

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was ¥10.42 in 2016, and the most recent fiscal year payment was ¥46.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 16% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown rapidly over this time, but with cuts in the past we are not certain that this stock will be a reliable source of income in the future.

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. Kyoritsu Maintenance has impressed us by growing EPS at 62% per year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.

We should note that Kyoritsu Maintenance has issued stock equal to 11% of shares outstanding. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

In Summary

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Kyoritsu Maintenance will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. 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. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Kyoritsu Maintenance that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Is Kyoritsu Maintenance 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.