Here's What We Like About First of Long Island's (NASDAQ:FLIC) Upcoming Dividend

Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see The First of Long Island Corporation (NASDAQ:FLIC) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 8th of July will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 20th of July.

First of Long Island's next dividend payment will be US$0.18 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.72 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, First of Long Island has a trailing yield of approximately 4.7% on its current stock price of $15.47. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

View our latest analysis for First of Long Island

Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. That's why it's good to see First of Long Island paying out a modest 43% of its earnings.

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?

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. This is why it's a relief to see First of Long Island earnings per share are up 8.1% 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 of Long Island has delivered 7.3% dividend growth per year on average over the past ten years. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

To Sum It Up

Is First of Long Island worth buying for its dividend? First of Long Island 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, First of Long Island appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. We've identified 2 warning signs with First of Long Island (at least 1 which is potentially serious), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

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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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