Just Four Days Till HBT Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBT) Will Be Trading Ex-Dividend
Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that HBT Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBT) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Therefore, if you purchase HBT Financial's shares on or after the 9th of May, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 17th of May.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.16 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.64 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, HBT Financial has a trailing yield of approximately 3.8% on its current stock price of $17.03. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether HBT Financial's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether HBT Financial has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Check out our latest analysis for HBT Financial
Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Fortunately HBT Financial's payout ratio is modest, at just 32% of profit.
Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Readers will understand then, why we're concerned to see HBT Financial's earnings per share have dropped 10% a year over the past five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, two years ago, HBT Financial has lifted its dividend by approximately 3.3% a year on average.
To Sum It Up
Should investors buy HBT Financial for the upcoming dividend? HBT Financial's earnings per share are down over the past five years, although it has the cushion of a low payout ratio, which would suggest a cut to the dividend is relatively unlikely. In sum this is a middling combination, and we find it hard to get excited about the company from a dividend perspective.
With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with HBT Financial, you should know about the other risks facing this business. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with HBT Financial and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.
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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.