Be Sure To Check Out AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Before It Goes 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 AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. You can purchase shares before the 10th of September in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 25th of September.
AMERISAFE's next dividend payment will be US$0.27 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$4.58 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that AMERISAFE has a trailing yield of 7.0% on the current share price of $65.66. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether AMERISAFE can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
View our latest analysis for AMERISAFE
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. AMERISAFE has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 22% of its income after tax.
Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.
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. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Fortunately for readers, AMERISAFE's earnings per share have been growing at 10% 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 last eight years, AMERISAFE has lifted its dividend by approximately 39% a year on average. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.
The Bottom Line
Is AMERISAFE an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Typically, companies that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings are keeping the profits for reinvestment in the business. Perhaps even more importantly - this can sometimes signal management is focused on the long term future of the business. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating AMERISAFE more closely.
So while AMERISAFE looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. For example, we've found 2 warning signs for AMERISAFE (1 is significant!) that deserve your attention before investing in the shares.
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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