First Savings Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSFG) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. This means that investors who purchase First Savings Financial Group's shares on or after the 14th of December will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 29th of December.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.14 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.56 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, First Savings Financial Group stock has a trailing yield of around 3.6% on the current share price of $15.4. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether First Savings Financial Group can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

Check out our latest analysis for First Savings Financial Group

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately First Savings Financial Group's payout ratio is modest, at just 46% 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?

Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. First Savings Financial Group's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 5.7% a year over the previous five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. First Savings Financial Group has delivered 15% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years.

To Sum It Up

Should investors buy First Savings Financial Group for the upcoming dividend? First Savings Financial Group'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.

If you're not too concerned about First Savings Financial Group's ability to pay dividends, you should still be mindful of some of the other risks that this business faces. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for First Savings Financial Group you should be aware of.

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.

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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.