SouthState (NASDAQ:SSB) Is Increasing Its Dividend To $0.50

SouthState Corporation (NASDAQ:SSB) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 19th of August to $0.50. Although the dividend is now higher, the yield is only 2.4%, which is below the industry average.

See our latest analysis for SouthState

SouthState's Dividend Forecasted To Be Well Covered By Earnings

It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable.

SouthState has a long history of paying out dividends, with its current track record at a minimum of 10 years. Based on SouthState's last earnings report, the payout ratio is at a decent 31%, meaning that the company is able to pay out its dividend with a bit of room to spare.

The next 3 years are set to see EPS grow by 35.2%. Analysts estimate the future payout ratio will be 25% over the same time period, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

SouthState Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from $0.68 total annually to $2.00. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% a year over that time. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.

The Dividend Has Growth Potential

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. We are encouraged to see that SouthState has grown earnings per share at 9.0% 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 SouthState's Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that SouthState 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. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. 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 1 warning sign for SouthState that investors should take into consideration. Is SouthState 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.