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Readers hoping to buy Camden National Corporation (NASDAQ:CAC) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. Investors can purchase shares before the 12th of July in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 31st of July.
Camden National’s next dividend payment will be US$0.30 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$1.20 to shareholders. Calculating the last year’s worth of payments shows that Camden National has a trailing yield of 2.7% on the current share price of $44.82. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Camden National’s dividend is reliable and sustainable. That’s why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.
Check out our latest analysis for Camden National
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 Camden National paying out a modest 34% of its earnings.
Generally speaking, the lower a company’s payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it’s easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Fortunately for readers, Camden National’s earnings per share have been growing at 12% 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 past 10 years, Camden National has increased its dividend at approximately 6.1% a year on average. 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.
To Sum It Up
Has Camden National got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? When companies are growing rapidly and retaining a majority of the profits within the business, it’s usually a sign that reinvesting earnings creates more value than paying dividends to shareholders. This strategy can add significant value to shareholders over the long term – as long as it’s done without issuing too many new shares. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating Camden National more closely.
Curious what other investors think of Camden National? See what analysts are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow .
A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.