Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Citizens Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:CZFS) is about to go ex-dividend in just two 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 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. Meaning, you will need to purchase Citizens Financial Services' shares before the 14th of March to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 29th of March.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.49 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.96 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Citizens Financial Services has a trailing yield of 4.6% on the current share price of US$42.845. 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 Citizens Financial Services 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. Citizens Financial Services paid out a comfortable 48% of its profit last year.

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 how much of its profit Citizens Financial Services paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Citizens Financial Services's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 5.0% a year over the previous five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the last 10 years, Citizens Financial Services has lifted its dividend by approximately 7.5% a year on average.

To Sum It Up

Should investors buy Citizens Financial Services for the upcoming dividend? Citizens Financial Services'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're unconvinced on the company's merits, and think there might be better opportunities out there.

If you want to look further into Citizens Financial Services, it's worth knowing the risks this business faces. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for Citizens Financial Services and you should be aware of these before buying any shares.

Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.

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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.