Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (TSE:6504) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is two business days before the record date, which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves at least two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. This means that investors who purchase Fuji Electric's shares on or after the 29th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 3rd of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be JP¥107.00 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of JP¥216 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Fuji Electric has a trailing yield of 1.6% on the current share price of JP¥13370.00. 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! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. That's why it's good to see Fuji Electric paying out a modest 27% of its earnings. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 34% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio.
It's positive to see that Fuji Electric'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.
Check out our latest analysis for Fuji Electric
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. It's encouraging to see Fuji Electric has grown its earnings rapidly, up 20% a year for the past five years. Fuji Electric is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow, while simultaneously growing earnings per share at a rapid clip. This is a very favourable combination that can often lead to the dividend multiplying over the long term, if earnings grow and the company pays out a higher percentage of its earnings.
Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Fuji Electric has lifted its dividend by approximately 16% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
Should investors buy Fuji Electric for the upcoming dividend? We love that Fuji Electric is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Fuji Electric looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
While it's tempting to invest in Fuji Electric for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Fuji Electric and you should be aware of this before buying any shares.
Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are 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.