Be Sure To Check Out Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ:COLB) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend

Simply Wall St
·3 min read

It looks like Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ:COLB) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 3 days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 11th of May, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 26th of May.

Columbia Banking System's next dividend payment will be US$0.28 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.12 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Columbia Banking System has a trailing yield of 2.5% on the current share price of $44.63. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

View our latest analysis for Columbia Banking System

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Columbia Banking System paid out a comfortable 42% of its profit last year.

Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

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Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. This is why it's a relief to see Columbia Banking System earnings per share are up 9.5% per annum over the last five years.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Columbia Banking System has lifted its dividend by approximately 40% 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

Is Columbia Banking System an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It has been growing its earnings per share somewhat in recent years, although it reinvests more than half its earnings in the business, which could suggest there are some growth projects that have not yet reached fruition. In summary, Columbia Banking System appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Columbia Banking System (including 1 which shouldn't be ignored).

We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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