Yahoo Finance Here's What We Like About Wintrust Financial's (NASDAQ:WTFC) Upcoming Dividend
Readers hoping to buy Wintrust Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:WTFC) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. This means that investors who purchase Wintrust Financial's shares on or after the 10th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 25th of August.
The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.34 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.36 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Wintrust Financial has a trailing yield of 1.6% on the current stock price of $86.76. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Wintrust Financial's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Wintrust Financial has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Check out our latest analysis for Wintrust 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. Wintrust Financial has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 19% of its income after tax.
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?
Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. For this reason, we're glad to see Wintrust Financial's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum 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. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Wintrust Financial has lifted its dividend by approximately 22% a year on average. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it.
The Bottom Line
Is Wintrust Financial worth buying for its dividend? When companies are growing rapidly and retaining a majority of the profits within the business, it's usually a sign that reinvesting earnings creates more value than paying dividends to shareholders. Perhaps even more importantly - this can sometimes signal management is focused on the long term future of the business. In summary, Wintrust Financial appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.
While it's tempting to invest in Wintrust Financial for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Wintrust Financial you should be aware of.
If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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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