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Norwood Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:NWFL) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 1st of May to $0.29. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 4.0%, which is fairly typical for the industry.
See our latest analysis for Norwood Financial
Norwood Financial's Payment Expected To Have Solid Earnings Coverage
Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much.
Norwood Financial has a long history of paying out dividends, with its current track record at a minimum of 10 years. Past distributions do not necessarily guarantee future ones, but Norwood Financial's payout ratio of 31% is a good sign as this means that earnings decently cover dividends.
Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 22.2% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the future payout ratio could be 27% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.
Norwood Financial Has A Solid Track Record
The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from $0.727 total annually to $1.16. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 4.8% per annum over that time. While the consistency in the dividend payments is impressive, we think the relatively slow rate of growth is less attractive.
The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow
Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. It's encouraging to see that Norwood Financial has been growing its earnings per share at 22% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio gives the company a lot of flexibility, and growing earnings also make it very easy for it to grow the dividend.
Norwood Financial Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock
Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Norwood Financial is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.
Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. See if management have their own wealth at stake, by checking insider shareholdings in Norwood Financial stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.