Only Four Days Left To Cash In On Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida's (NASDAQ:SBCF) Dividend

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ:SBCF) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Thus, you can purchase Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida's shares before the 15th of September in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 30th of September.

The company'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, Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida has a trailing yield of approximately 2.3% on its current stock price of US$30.71. 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! We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

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Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Fortunately Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida's payout ratio is modest, at just 44% of profit.

Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.

Check out our latest analysis for Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. So we're not too excited that Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida's earnings are down 3.6% a year over the past five years.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the last four years, Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida has lifted its dividend by approximately 8.5% a year on average.

To Sum It Up

Has Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Earnings per share have shrunk noticeably in recent years, although we like that the company has a low payout ratio. This could suggest a cut to the dividend may not be a major risk in the near future. It doesn't appear an outstanding opportunity, but could be worth a closer look.

Curious what other investors think of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida? See what analysts are forecasting, with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow.

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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.