Should Income Investors Look At Artiza Networks, Inc. (TSE:6778) Before Its Ex-Dividend?

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 Artiza Networks, Inc. (TSE:6778) is about to go ex-dividend in just 3 days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be two business days before the record date, which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company’s books as a shareholder in order to receive the 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. Accordingly, Artiza Networks investors that purchase the stock on or after the 30th of July will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 27th of October.

The company’s next dividend payment will be JP¥25.00 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of JP¥25.00 to shareholders. Based on the last year’s worth of payments, Artiza Networks stock has a trailing yield of around 3.7% on the current share price of JP¥684.00. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Artiza Networks’s dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Artiza Networks can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

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If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable – hardly an ideal situation. Its dividend payout ratio is 80% of profit, which means the company is paying out a majority of its earnings. The relatively limited profit reinvestment could slow the rate of future earnings growth. It could become a concern if earnings started to decline. 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. Fortunately, it paid out only 44% of its free cash flow in the past year.

It’s positive to see that Artiza Networks’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.

See our latest analysis for Artiza Networks

Click here to see how much of its profit Artiza Networks paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Readers will understand then, why we’re concerned to see Artiza Networks’s earnings per share have dropped 14% a year over the past five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend.

The main way most investors will assess a company’s dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Artiza Networks has increased its dividend at approximately 9.6% a year on average. That’s intriguing, but the combination of growing dividends despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out a larger percentage of profits. Artiza Networks 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

Is Artiza Networks an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We’re not enthused by the declining earnings per share, although at least the company’s payout ratio is within a reasonable range, meaning it may not be at imminent risk of a dividend cut. All things considered, we are not particularly enthused about Artiza Networks from a dividend perspective.

If you’re not too concerned about Artiza Networks’s ability to pay dividends, you should still be mindful of some of the other risks that this business faces. Every company has risks, and we’ve spotted 2 warning signs for Artiza Networks you should know about.

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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.