Community Bank System (NYSE:CBU) Is Increasing Its Dividend To US$0.43

Community Bank System, Inc.'s (NYSE:CBU) dividend will be increasing to US$0.43 on 10th of January. Based on the announced payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 2.2%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Community Bank System

Community Bank System's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Based on the last payment, Community Bank System was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

EPS is set to fall by 9.8% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along the path it has been on recently, we estimate the payout ratio could be 56%, which is comfortable for the company to continue in the future.

Community Bank System Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The first annual payment during the last 10 years was US$0.96 in 2011, and the most recent fiscal year payment was US$1.72. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 6.0% 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.

The Dividend Has Growth Potential

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. We are encouraged to see that Community Bank System has grown earnings per share at 9.8% per year over the past five years. Shareholders are getting plenty of the earnings returned to them, which combined with strong growth makes this quite appealing.

We Really Like Community Bank System's Dividend

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. 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.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Community Bank System that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.

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.

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