Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of $0.27
The board of Ames National Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLO) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.27 per share on the 15th of May. The dividend yield will be 5.9% based on this payment which is still above the industry average.
View our latest analysis for Ames National
Ames National Not Expected To Earn Enough To Cover Its Payments
We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable.
Ames National has a long history of paying out dividends, with its current track record at a minimum of 10 years. Taking data from its last earnings report, calculating for the company's payout ratio shows 90%, which means that Ames National would be able to pay its last dividend without pressure on the balance sheet.
If the company can't turn things around, EPS could fall by 8.0% over the next year. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 103%, which is definitely a bit high to be sustainable going forward.
Ames National Has A Solid Track Record
The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from $0.64 total annually to $1.08. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 5.4% over that duration. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio.
Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Come By
The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. However, things aren't all that rosy. Ames National has seen earnings per share falling at 8.0% per year over the last five years. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth.
Ames National's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable
Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. We can't deny that the payments have been very stable, but we are a little bit worried about the very high payout ratio. We don't think Ames National is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.
Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Ames National (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of 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.
