Miraial Co., Ltd. (TSE:4238) will pay a dividend of ¥20.00 on the 28th of April. This makes the dividend yield 2.8%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
See our latest analysis for Miraial
While it is great to have a strong dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is sustainable. Based on the last payment, Miraial's earnings were much higher than the dividend, but it wasn't converting those earnings into cash flow. No cash flows could definitely make returning cash to shareholders difficult, or at least mean the balance sheet will come under pressure.
EPS is set to fall by 7.8% over the next 12 months if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 52%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.
The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The dividend has gone from an annual total of ¥60.00 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of ¥40.00. This works out to be a decline of approximately 4.0% per year over that time. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.
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. Miraial has seen earnings per share falling at 7.8% per year over the last five years. Declining earnings will inevitably lead to the company paying a lower dividend in line with lower profits.
Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. With cash flows lacking, it is difficult to see how the company can sustain a dividend payment. We don't think Miraial is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Just as an example, we've come across 4 warning signs for Miraial you should be aware of, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us. Is Miraial 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.