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Readers hoping to buy TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ:TCBK) 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 11th of March will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 26th of March.
TriCo Bancshares's upcoming dividend is US$0.25 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.88 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, TriCo Bancshares stock has a trailing yield of around 2.1% on the current share price of $47.37. 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 TriCo Bancshares can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.
Check out our latest analysis for TriCo Bancshares
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 TriCo Bancshares paying out a modest 41% of its earnings.
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. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. This is why it's a relief to see TriCo Bancshares earnings per share are up 2.4% per annum 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. TriCo Bancshares has delivered an average of 6.8% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.
The Bottom Line
Is TriCo Bancshares an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? TriCo Bancshares 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. In summary, TriCo Bancshares appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.