United Bancshares' (NASDAQ:UBOH) Shareholders Will Receive A Bigger Dividend Than Last Year

United Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBOH) will increase its dividend on the 15th of September to US$0.20. This takes the annual payment to 2.0% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for United Bancshares

United Bancshares' Earnings Easily Cover the Distributions

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Before making this announcement, United Bancshares was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 20.3% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 15% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Dividend Volatility

While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was US$0.60 in 2011, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$0.51. The dividend has shrunk at around 1.6% a year during that period. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. United Bancshares has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 20% per annum. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggest this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future.

United Bancshares Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that United Bancshares is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for United Bancshares that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a solid dividend.

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