Readers hoping to buy Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NWBI) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. 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 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. This means that investors who purchase Northwest Bancshares' shares on or after the 1st of February will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of February.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.20 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.80 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Northwest Bancshares stock has a trailing yield of around 6.2% on the current share price of US$12.97. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Northwest Bancshares has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

Check out our latest analysis for Northwest Bancshares

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. It paid out 75% of its earnings as dividends last year, which is not unreasonable, but limits reinvestment in the business and leaves the dividend vulnerable to a business downturn. We'd be concerned if earnings began to decline.

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?

Stocks with flat earnings can still be attractive dividend payers, but it is important to be more conservative with your approach and demand a greater margin for safety when it comes to dividend sustainability. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That explains why we're not overly excited about Northwest Bancshares's flat earnings over the past five years. Better than seeing them fall off a cliff, for sure, but the best dividend stocks grow their earnings meaningfully over the long run.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Northwest Bancshares has delivered an average of 5.2% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments.

The Bottom Line

Is Northwest Bancshares worth buying for its dividend? Northwest Bancshares's earnings are effectively flat over recent years, even as the company pays out more than half of its earnings to shareholders as dividends. We think there are likely better opportunities out there.

If you're not too concerned about Northwest Bancshares's ability to pay dividends, you should still be mindful of some of the other risks that this business faces. For example, Northwest Bancshares has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think 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.

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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.