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Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) Stock Goes Ex-Dividend In Just Four Days

It looks like Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 4 days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 1st of October, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 15th of October.

Fifth Third Bancorp's next dividend payment will be US$0.27 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.08 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Fifth Third Bancorp has a trailing yield of approximately 5.3% on its current stock price of $20.47. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for Fifth Third Bancorp

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. Fifth Third Bancorp paid out more than half (52%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies.

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.

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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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. This is why it's a relief to see Fifth Third Bancorp earnings per share are up 3.2% 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. Fifth Third Bancorp has delivered 39% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders.

To Sum It Up

Has Fifth Third Bancorp got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Fifth Third Bancorp has been generating some growth in earnings per share while paying out more than half of its earnings to shareholders in the form of dividends. We're unconvinced on the company's merits, and think there might be better opportunities out there.

With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Fifth Third Bancorp, you should know about the other risks facing this business. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Fifth Third Bancorp and you should be aware of it before buying any shares.

A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising 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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