Yahoo Finance Should You Buy OP Bancorp (NASDAQ:OPBK) For Its Upcoming Dividend?
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see OP Bancorp (NASDAQ:OPBK) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. 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. This means that investors who purchase OP Bancorp's shares on or after the 8th of February will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 23rd of February.
The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.12 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.48 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, OP Bancorp stock has a trailing yield of around 4.2% on the current share price of $11.55. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether OP Bancorp's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether OP Bancorp has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
See our latest analysis for OP Bancorp
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. OP Bancorp has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 20% of its income after tax.
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.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's comforting to see OP Bancorp's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 26% per annum for the past five years.
Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last four years, OP Bancorp has lifted its dividend by approximately 24% 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.
Final Takeaway
Has OP Bancorp got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Companies like OP 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. OP Bancorp ticks a lot of boxes for us from a dividend perspective, and we think these characteristics should mark the company as deserving of further attention.
While it's tempting to invest in OP Bancorp for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for OP Bancorp that we strongly recommend you have a look at before investing in the company.
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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