Simmons First National's (NASDAQ:SFNC) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year

Simmons First National Corporation's (NASDAQ:SFNC) dividend will be increasing to US$0.19 on 4th of April. The announced payment will take the dividend yield to 2.5%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

View our latest analysis for Simmons First National

Simmons First National's Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. However, Simmons First National's earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to fall by 21.5%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could be 41%, which we are pretty comfortable with and we think is feasible on an earnings basis.

Simmons First National Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the first annual payment was US$0.38, compared to the most recent full-year payment of US$0.76. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 7.2% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate over this period, and without any major cuts in the payment over time, we think this is an attractive combination as it provides a nice boost to shareholder returns.

Simmons First National Could Grow Its Dividend

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. Simmons First National has impressed us by growing EPS at 9.8% per year over the past five years. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for Simmons First National's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future.

We Really Like Simmons First National's Dividend

Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. The distributions are easily covered by earnings, and there is plenty of cash being generated as well. However, it is worth noting that the earnings are expected to fall over the next year, which may not change the long term outlook, but could affect the dividend payment in the next 12 months. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For instance, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Simmons First National that investors should take into consideration. Is Simmons First National not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top 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.