It looks like Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR) is about to go 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 as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase Sierra Bancorp's shares before the 31st of October in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 12th of November.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.24 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.96 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Sierra Bancorp has a trailing yield of 3.4% on the current stock price of US$27.99. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Sierra Bancorp's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Sierra Bancorp can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

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 Sierra Bancorp's payout ratio is modest, at just 37% 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 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 fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. This is why it's a relief to see Sierra Bancorp earnings per share are up 5.8% 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. In the last 10 years, Sierra Bancorp has lifted its dividend by approximately 12% a year on average. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.

Final Takeaway

Has Sierra Bancorp got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Sierra Bancorp has seen its earnings per share grow slowly in recent years, and the company reinvests more than half of its profits in the business, which generally bodes well for its future prospects. Overall, Sierra Bancorp looks like a promising dividend stock in this analysis, and we think it would be worth investigating further.

While it's tempting to invest in Sierra Bancorp for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Sierra Bancorp you should be aware of.

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top 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.