Why You Might Be Interested In Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) For Its Upcoming Dividend

Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 6th of February will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of February.

Bank of Marin Bancorp's upcoming dividend is US$0.23 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.92 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Bank of Marin Bancorp has a trailing yield of 2.1% on the current stock price of $44.06. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to investigate whether Bank of Marin Bancorp can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

See our latest analysis for Bank of Marin Bancorp

Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. That's why it's good to see Bank of Marin Bancorp paying out a modest 32% 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?

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 Bank of Marin Bancorp earnings per share are up 8.4% 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. Bank of Marin Bancorp has delivered 13% 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

Has Bank of Marin Bancorp got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Bank of Marin Bancorp 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. Overall, Bank of Marin Bancorp looks like a promising dividend stock in this analysis, and we think it would be worth investigating further.

Ever wonder what the future holds for Bank of Marin Bancorp? See what the five analysts we track are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow

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.

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.

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. Thank you for reading.