Here's What We Like About Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina's (NASDAQ:PEBK) Upcoming Dividend
It looks like Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBK) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 3 days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day 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 important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Thus, you can purchase Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina's shares before the 2nd of June in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 15th of June.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.16 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.64 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina stock has a trailing yield of around 2.6% on the current share price of $24.89. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina
Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina paid out a comfortable 27% of its profit last year.
Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.
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 fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, with earnings per share up 7.5% on average over the last five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina has lifted its dividend by approximately 24% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.
Final Takeaway
Has Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina has seen its earnings per share grow slowly in recent years, and the company reinvests more than half of its profits in the business, which generally bodes well for its future prospects. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina 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.
On that note, you'll want to research what risks Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina is facing. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina and you should be aware of it before buying any shares.
A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising 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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