Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see James River Group Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ:JRVR) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 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. Thus, you can purchase James River Group Holdings' shares before the 10th of June in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 28th of June.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.05 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.20 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, James River Group Holdings has a trailing yield of approximately 2.5% on its current stock price of US$7.92. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether James River Group Holdings has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

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. James River Group Holdings has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 11% of its income after tax.

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 shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. That's why it's not ideal to see James River Group Holdings's earnings per share have been shrinking at 3.9% a year over the previous five years.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. James River Group Holdings's dividend payments per share have declined at 12% per year on average over the past nine years, which is uninspiring. It's never nice to see earnings and dividends falling, but at least management has cut the dividend rather than potentially risk the company's health in an attempt to maintain it.

To Sum It Up

Is James River Group Holdings worth buying for its dividend? James River Group Holdings'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. We think there are likely better opportunities out there.

If you want to look further into James River Group Holdings, it's worth knowing the risks this business faces. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for James River Group Holdings 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.