Mercantile Bank (NASDAQ:MBWM) Is Increasing Its Dividend To $0.32

Mercantile Bank Corporation's (NASDAQ:MBWM) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to $0.32 on 14th of September. This takes the dividend yield to 3.7%, which shareholders will be pleased with.

See our latest analysis for Mercantile Bank

Mercantile Bank's Dividend Forecasted To Be Well Covered By Earnings

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained.

Mercantile Bank has a long history of paying out dividends, with its current track record at a minimum of 10 years. Past distributions do not necessarily guarantee future ones, but Mercantile Bank's payout ratio of 39% is a good sign as this means that earnings decently cover dividends.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 16.6%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the future payout ratio will be 38%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Mercantile Bank Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from $0.36 total annually to $1.24. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 13% over that duration. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Mercantile Bank has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 11% per annum. Mercantile Bank definitely has the potential to grow its dividend in the future with earnings on an uptrend and a low payout ratio.

We Really Like Mercantile Bank's Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Mercantile Bank is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. 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. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 5 analysts we track are forecasting for Mercantile Bank for free with public analyst estimates for the company. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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.