Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTBI)'s Could Be A Buy 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 Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTBI) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 12th of December will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 1st of January.

Community Trust Bancorp's next dividend payment will be US$0.38 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.52 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Community Trust Bancorp has a trailing yield of 3.4% on the current stock price of $45.03. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether Community Trust Bancorp has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

View our latest analysis for Community Trust 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. Fortunately Community Trust Bancorp's payout ratio is modest, at just 40% of profit.

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?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. This is why it's a relief to see Community Trust Bancorp earnings per share are up 6.6% 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. Since the start of our data, ten years ago, Community Trust Bancorp has lifted its dividend by approximately 3.4% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

Final Takeaway

Has Community Trust Bancorp got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Community Trust 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. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating Community Trust Bancorp more closely.

Ever wonder what the future holds for Community Trust Bancorp? See what the two analysts we track 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.

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.

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