First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIBK) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase First Interstate BancSystem's shares before the 6th of August in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 19th of August.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.41 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$1.64 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that First Interstate BancSystem has a trailing yield of 3.9% on the current share price of $41.92. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

Check out our latest analysis for First Interstate BancSystem

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. First Interstate BancSystem is paying out an acceptable 53% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies.

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 the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. 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 First Interstate BancSystem earnings per share are up 9.6% 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. First Interstate BancSystem has delivered an average of 14% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.