There's A Lot To Like About Guaranty Federal Bancshares' (NASDAQ:GFED) Upcoming US$0.15 Dividend
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:GFED) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next two days. You will need to purchase shares before the 1st of April to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of April.
Guaranty Federal Bancshares's upcoming dividend is US$0.15 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.60 per share to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Guaranty Federal Bancshares has a trailing yield of 3.0% on the current share price of $19.9. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to investigate whether Guaranty Federal Bancshares can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
See our latest analysis for Guaranty Federal Bancshares
Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Fortunately Guaranty Federal Bancshares's payout ratio is modest, at just 38% of profit.
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 how much of its profit Guaranty Federal Bancshares paid out over the last 12 months.
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. This is why it's a relief to see Guaranty Federal Bancshares earnings per share are up 3.6% per annum over the last five years.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, seven years ago, Guaranty Federal Bancshares has lifted its dividend by approximately 17% 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
Is Guaranty Federal Bancshares worth buying for its dividend? 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. Guaranty Federal Bancshares 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.
With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. For example, we've found 3 warning signs for Guaranty Federal Bancshares (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that deserve your attention before investing in the shares.
We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting 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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