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Heritage Financial's (NASDAQ:HFWA) Upcoming Dividend Will Be Larger Than Last Year's

The board of Heritage Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:HFWA) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of $0.22 on the 22nd of February, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. This takes the annual payment to 3.1% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Heritage Financial

Heritage Financial's Dividend Forecasted To Be Well Covered By Earnings

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable.

Having distributed dividends for at least 10 years, Heritage Financial has a long history of paying out a part of its earnings to shareholders. Based on Heritage Financial's last earnings report, the payout ratio is at a decent 36%, meaning that the company is able to pay out its dividend with a bit of room to spare.

The next 3 years are set to see EPS grow by 21.2%. Analysts forecast the future payout ratio could be 35% over the same time horizon, which is a number we think the company can maintain.

historic-dividend
historic-dividend

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.24 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of $0.88. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 14% a year over that time. Despite the rapid growth in the dividend over the past number of years, we have seen the payments go down the past as well, so that makes us cautious.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. It's encouraging to see that Heritage Financial has been growing its earnings per share at 11% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time.

We Really Like Heritage Financial's Dividend

Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Heritage Financial that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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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