Nitta Gelatin Inc. (TSE:4977) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 3 days. The ex-dividend date generally occurs two days before the record date, which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order 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. In other words, investors can purchase Nitta Gelatin's shares before the 29th of September in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 7th of December.
The company's next dividend payment will be JP¥20.00 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of JP¥40.00 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Nitta Gelatin stock has a trailing yield of around 3.3% on the current share price of JP¥1196.00. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Nitta Gelatin has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Nitta Gelatin paid out just 16% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. The good news is it paid out just 11% of its free cash flow in the last year.
It's positive to see that Nitta Gelatin'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 Nitta Gelatin
Click here to see how much of its profit Nitta Gelatin paid out over the last 12 months.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. That's why it's comforting to see Nitta Gelatin's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 35% per annum for the past five years. Nitta Gelatin looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Nitta Gelatin has delivered 13% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.
Final Takeaway
Has Nitta Gelatin got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? It's great that Nitta Gelatin is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's disappointing to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, but as things stand now, the low payout ratio suggests a conservative approach to dividends, which we like. Nitta Gelatin looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.
On that note, you'll want to research what risks Nitta Gelatin is facing. For example, Nitta Gelatin has 2 warning signs (and 1 which shouldn't be ignored) we think 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.