Mitsuba Corporation (TSE:7280) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 11th of June to ¥15.00. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 1.6%, which is below the industry average.
Even a low dividend yield can be attractive if it is sustained for years on end. Before making this announcement, Mitsuba was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.
If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 58.6% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 3.6% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.
See our latest analysis for Mitsuba
The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. Since 2015, the annual payment back then was ¥14.00, compared to the most recent full-year payment of ¥15.00. Dividend payments have been growing, but very slowly over the period. Modest growth in the dividend is good to see, but we think this is offset by historical cuts to the payments. It is hard to live on a dividend income if the company's earnings are not consistent.
With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. We are encouraged to see that Mitsuba has grown earnings per share at 59% per year over the past five years. Earnings per share is growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low which we think is an ideal combination in a dividend stock as the company can quite easily raise the dividend in the future.
Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Mitsuba that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. 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.