Should You Buy First Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:THFF) For Its Upcoming Dividend In 3 Days?
Readers hoping to buy First Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:THFF) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 7th of January will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of January.
First Financial's upcoming dividend is US$0.52 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.04 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, First Financial stock has a trailing yield of around 2.3% on the current share price of $45.37. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
View our latest analysis for First Financial
If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. That's why it's good to see First Financial paying out a modest 28% 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?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at First Financial, with earnings per share up 9.0% on average over the last five years.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. First Financial has delivered 1.5% dividend growth per year on average over the past ten years.
Final Takeaway
Has First Financial got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? It has been growing its earnings per share somewhat in recent years, although it reinvests more than half its earnings in the business, which could suggest there are some growth projects that have not yet reached fruition. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating First Financial more closely.
Ever wonder what the future holds for First Financial? See what the two analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow
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.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
