Don't Buy LIXIL Corporation (TSE:5938) For Its Next Dividend Without Doing These Checks

LIXIL Corporation (TSE:5938) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in three 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 of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade can take two business days or more to settle. Meaning, you will need to purchase LIXIL's shares before the 29th of September to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 1st of December.

The company's next dividend payment will be JP¥45.00 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of JP¥90.00 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that LIXIL has a trailing yield of 4.7% on the current share price of JP¥1906.00. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

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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. Last year, LIXIL paid out 377% of its profit to shareholders in the form of dividends. This is not sustainable behaviour and requires a closer look on behalf of the purchaser. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether LIXIL generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 47% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies.

It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and LIXIL fortunately did generate enough cash to fund its dividend. If executives were to continue paying more in dividends than the company reported in profits, we'd view this as a warning sign. Very few companies are able to sustainably pay dividends larger than their reported earnings.

View our latest analysis for LIXIL

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. With that in mind, we're discomforted by LIXIL's 26% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. Ultimately, when earnings per share decline, the size of the pie from which dividends can be paid, shrinks.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, LIXIL has lifted its dividend by approximately 4.1% a year on average. The only way to pay higher dividends when earnings are shrinking is either to pay out a larger percentage of profits, spend cash from the balance sheet, or borrow the money. LIXIL is already paying out a high percentage of its income, so without earnings growth, we're doubtful of whether this dividend will grow much in the future.

The Bottom Line

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid LIXIL? It's never great to see earnings per share declining, especially when a company is paying out 377% of its profit as dividends, which we feel is uncomfortably high. Yet cashflow was much stronger, which makes us wonder if there are some large timing issues in LIXIL's cash flows, or perhaps the company has written down some assets aggressively, reducing its income. It's not that we think LIXIL is a bad company, but these characteristics don't generally lead to outstanding dividend performance.

With that being said, if you're still considering LIXIL as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. We've identified 2 warning signs with LIXIL (at least 1 which is a bit concerning), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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