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Here's What We Like About First Commonwealth Financial's (NYSE:FCF) Upcoming Dividend

Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE:FCF) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 5th of November will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 20th of November.

First Commonwealth Financial's next dividend payment will be US$0.11 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.44 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, First Commonwealth Financial stock has a trailing yield of around 5.1% on the current share price of $8.62. 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! As a result, readers should always check whether First Commonwealth Financial has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

See our latest analysis for First Commonwealth Financial

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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. First Commonwealth Financial is paying out an acceptable 58% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies.

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

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

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historic-dividend

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at First Commonwealth Financial, with earnings per share up 9.8% on average over the last 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 past 10 years, First Commonwealth Financial has increased its dividend at approximately 14% a year on average. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

The Bottom Line

Should investors buy First Commonwealth Financial for the upcoming dividend? First Commonwealth Financial has been generating some growth in earnings per share while paying out more than half of its earnings to shareholders in the form of dividends. We're unconvinced on the company's merits, and think there might be better opportunities out there.

If you're not too concerned about First Commonwealth Financial's ability to pay dividends, you should still be mindful of some of the other risks that this business faces. For example, we've found 1 warning sign for First Commonwealth Financial that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.