AGC (TSE:5201) Is Paying Out A Dividend Of ¥105.00

Simply Wall St · 10/15 21:08

The board of AGC Inc. (TSE:5201) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥105.00 per share on the 31st of March. This makes the dividend yield 4.5%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

View our latest analysis for AGC

AGC Might Find It Hard To Continue The Dividend

While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. The company is paying out a large amount of its cash flows, even though it isn't generating any profit. This is quite a strong warning sign that the dividend may not be sustainable.

Analysts expect the EPS to grow by 67.4% over the next 12 months. This is the right direction to be moving, but it is not enough to achieve profitability. Unless this can be done in short order, the dividend might be difficult to sustain.

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TSE:5201 Historic Dividend October 15th 2024

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from ¥50.00 total annually to ¥210.00. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 15% 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.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. AGC's EPS has fallen by approximately 23% per year during the past five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. Over the next year, however, earnings are actually predicted to rise, but we would still be cautious until a track record of earnings growth can be built.

We're Not Big Fans Of AGC's Dividend

Overall, while some might be pleased that the dividend wasn't cut, we think this may help AGC make more consistent payments in the future. The company seems to be stretching itself a bit to make such big payments, but it doesn't appear they can be consistent over time. We don't think that this is a great candidate to be an income stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For instance, we've picked out 1 warning sign for AGC that investors should take into consideration. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.