Sound Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:SFBC) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming Dividend

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 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 an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Therefore, if you purchase Sound Financial Bancorp's shares on or after the 8th of November, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 23rd of November.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.17 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.78 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Sound Financial Bancorp stock has a trailing yield of around 1.9% on the current share price of $40.555. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! As a result, readers should always check whether Sound Financial Bancorp has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

See our latest analysis for Sound Financial 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. Sound Financial Bancorp paid out just 23% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances.

Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend.

Click here to see how much of its profit Sound Financial Bancorp paid out over the last 12 months.

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 business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Sound Financial Bancorp, with earnings per share up 7.0% on average 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, Sound Financial Bancorp has lifted its dividend by approximately 15% 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.

To Sum It Up

Has Sound Financial Bancorp got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? 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, Sound Financial Bancorp appears to have some promise as a dividend stock, and we'd suggest taking a closer look at it.

Want to learn more about Sound Financial Bancorp? Here's a visualisation of its historical rate of revenue and earnings growth.

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.

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