Fukuda's (TSE:1899) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

Fukuda Corporation (TSE:1899) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 30th of March to ¥250.00. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 3.2%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

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Fukuda's Future Dividend Projections Appear Well Covered By Earnings

While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. Prior to this announcement, Fukuda's earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. We think that cash flows should take priority over earnings, so this is definitely a worry for the dividend going forward.

EPS is set to fall by 0.0002% over the next 12 months if recent trends continue. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could be 39%, which we are pretty comfortable with and we think is feasible on an earnings basis.

View our latest analysis for Fukuda

Fukuda Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from ¥45.00 total annually to ¥250.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 19% a year over that time. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Unfortunately things aren't as good as they seem. Although it's important to note that Fukuda's earnings per share has basically not grown from where it was five years ago, which could erode the purchasing power of the dividend over time.

Our Thoughts On Fukuda's Dividend

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Fukuda will make a great income stock. While Fukuda is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. To that end, Fukuda has 2 warning signs (and 1 which shouldn't be ignored) we think you should know about. 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.