Rock Field Co.,Ltd. (TSE:2910) has announced that it will pay a dividend of ¥9.00 per share on the 19th of January. This makes the dividend yield 1.5%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.
Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, the dividend made up 86% of cash flows, but a higher proportion of net income. While the cash payout ratio isn't necessarily a cause for concern, the company is probably focusing more on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business.
Earnings per share is forecast to rise by 27.1% over the next year. However, if the dividend continues along recent trends, it could start putting pressure on the balance sheet with the payout ratio reaching 141% over the next year.
View our latest analysis for Rock FieldLtd
Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was ¥22.50, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥24.00. Dividend payments have grown at less than 1% a year over this period. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited.
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. It's encouraging to see that Rock FieldLtd has been growing its earnings per share at 12% a year over the past five years. While EPS is growing at a decent rate, but future growth could be limited by the amount of earnings being paid out to shareholders.
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. In general, the distributions are a little bit higher than we would like, but we can't ignore the fact the quickly growing earnings gives this stock great potential in the future. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.
Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Rock FieldLtd that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of 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.