Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) Is Increasing Its Dividend To US$0.27

Ames National Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLO) will increase its dividend on the 13th of May to US$0.27. This will take the dividend yield to an attractive 4.3%, providing a nice boost to shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Ames National

Ames National's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. However, prior to this announcement, Ames National's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 9.2% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 38%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Ames National Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was US$0.52 in 2012, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$1.08. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 7.6% per annum over that time. The dividend has been growing very nicely for a number of years, and has given its shareholders some nice income in their portfolios.

The Dividend Has Growth Potential

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. We are encouraged to see that Ames National has grown earnings per share at 9.2% per year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

We Really Like Ames National's Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Ames National is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. You can also discover whether shareholders are aligned with insider interests by checking our visualisation of insider shareholdings and trades in Ames National stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.