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Commerce Bancshares (NASDAQ:CBSH) Has Affirmed Its Dividend Of US$0.27

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBSH) has announced that it will pay a dividend of US$0.27 per share on the 22nd of June. Including this payment, the dividend yield on the stock will be 1.6%, which is a modest boost for shareholders' returns.

View our latest analysis for Commerce Bancshares

Commerce Bancshares' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Before making this announcement, Commerce Bancshares was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

EPS is set to fall by 7.8% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could be 29%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

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historic-dividend

Commerce Bancshares Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2012, the first annual payment was US$0.54, compared to the most recent full-year payment of US$1.06. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.0% a year over that time. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. We are encouraged to see that Commerce Bancshares has grown earnings per share at 15% per year over the past five years. Growth in EPS bodes well for the dividend, as does the low payout ratio that the company is currently reporting.

We Really Like Commerce Bancshares' Dividend

Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think Commerce Bancshares might even raise payments in the future. The earnings easily cover the company's distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. If earnings do fall over the next 12 months, the dividend could be buffeted a little bit, but we don't think it should cause too much of a problem in the long term. All in all, this checks a lot of the boxes we look for when choosing an income stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. As an example, we've identified 1 warning sign for Commerce Bancshares that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of 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.