Readers hoping to buy Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 29th of October will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 12th of November.
Sierra Bancorp’s next dividend payment will be US$0.20 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.80 per share. Calculating the last year’s worth of payments shows that Sierra Bancorp has a trailing yield of 3.8% on the current share price of $21.26. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it’s growing.
View our latest analysis for Sierra Bancorp
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. That’s why it’s good to see Sierra Bancorp paying out a modest 34% of its earnings.
Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend.
Click here to see the company’s payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Fortunately for readers, Sierra Bancorp’s earnings per share have been growing at 17% a year for the past five years.
Another key way to measure a company’s dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Sierra Bancorp has increased its dividend at approximately 13% 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.
Final Takeaway
Should investors buy Sierra Bancorp for the upcoming dividend? Companies like Sierra Bancorp that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings, are usually reinvesting heavily in their business. Perhaps even more importantly – this can sometimes signal management is focused on the long term future of the business. Sierra Bancorp ticks a lot of boxes for us from a dividend perspective, and we think these characteristics should mark the company as deserving of further attention.
So while Sierra Bancorp looks good from a dividend perspective, it’s always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. In terms of investment risks, we’ve identified 1 warning sign with Sierra Bancorp and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
If you’re in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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