We Wouldn't Be Too Quick To Buy Monex Group, Inc. (TSE:8698) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend

Monex Group, Inc. (TSE:8698) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next two days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be two business days before the record date, which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. This means that investors who purchase Monex Group's shares on or after the 29th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 26th of November.

The company's next dividend payment will be JP¥15.40 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of JP¥30.80 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Monex Group has a trailing yield of 4.2% on the current share price of JP¥729.00. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Monex Group paid out more than half (70%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies.

Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.

See our latest analysis for Monex Group

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. So we're not too excited that Monex Group's earnings are down 4.8% a year over the past five years.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Monex Group has delivered an average of 12% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. Growing the dividend payout ratio while earnings are declining can deliver nice returns for a while, but it's always worth checking for when the company can't increase the payout ratio any more - because then the music stops.

To Sum It Up

Should investors buy Monex Group for the upcoming dividend? Earnings per share have been declining and the company is paying out more than half its profits to shareholders; not an enticing combination. Monex Group doesn't appear to have a lot going for it, and we're not inclined to take a risk on owning it for the dividend.

So if you're still interested in Monex Group despite it's poor dividend qualities, you should be well informed on some of the risks facing this stock. To help with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Monex Group that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.

Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.

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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.