Nippon Kodoshi Corporation (TSE:3891) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. The ex-dividend date is two business days before a company's record date in most cases, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Accordingly, Nippon Kodoshi investors that purchase the stock on or after the 29th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 2nd of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be JP¥55.00 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of JP¥110 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Nippon Kodoshi has a trailing yield of approximately 1.7% on its current stock price of JP¥6660.00. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! So we need to investigate whether Nippon Kodoshi can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. That's why it's good to see Nippon Kodoshi paying out a modest 29% of its earnings. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Nippon Kodoshi generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 22% of its free cash flow in the last year.
It's positive to see that Nippon Kodoshi's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.
View our latest analysis for Nippon Kodoshi
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Fortunately for readers, Nippon Kodoshi's earnings per share have been growing at 11% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share are growing rapidly and the company is keeping more than half of its earnings within the business; an attractive combination which could suggest the company is focused on reinvesting to grow earnings further. Fast-growing businesses that are reinvesting heavily are enticing from a dividend perspective, especially since they can often increase the payout ratio later.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Nippon Kodoshi has lifted its dividend by approximately 20% a year on average. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.
Has Nippon Kodoshi got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Nippon Kodoshi has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past 10 years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.
While it's tempting to invest in Nippon Kodoshi for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Nippon Kodoshi you should know about.
If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking 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.