Yahoo Finance Is It Smart To Buy IF Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:IROQ) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend?
IF Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:IROQ) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 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. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Accordingly, IF Bancorp investors that purchase the stock on or after the 21st of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 13th of October.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.20 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.40 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, IF Bancorp stock has a trailing yield of around 2.6% on the current share price of $15.13. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether IF Bancorp's dividend is reliable and sustainable. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.
See our latest analysis for IF Bancorp
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. Fortunately IF Bancorp's payout ratio is modest, at just 27% of profit.
When a company paid out less in dividends than it earned in profit, this generally suggests its dividend is affordable. The lower the % of its profit that it pays out, the greater the margin of safety for the dividend if the business enters a downturn.
Click here to see how much of its profit IF Bancorp paid out over the last 12 months.
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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see IF Bancorp's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 25% per annum for the past five years.
The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. IF Bancorp has delivered an average of 15% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.
Final Takeaway
Is IF Bancorp an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Companies like IF Bancorp that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings, are usually reinvesting heavily in their business. This strategy can add significant value to shareholders over the long term - as long as it's done without issuing too many new shares. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating IF Bancorp more closely.
While it's tempting to invest in IF Bancorp for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for IF Bancorp you should know about.
A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield 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.
