Horizon Bancorp (NASDAQ:HBNC) Is Increasing Its Dividend To US$0.16

The board of Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBNC) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend on the 22nd of July to US$0.16. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 3.5%.

View our latest analysis for Horizon Bancorp

Horizon Bancorp's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. However, prior to this announcement, Horizon Bancorp's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 7.0%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 31% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Horizon Bancorp Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2012, the first annual payment was US$0.13, compared to the most recent full-year payment of US$0.60. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 16% over that duration. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. We are encouraged to see that Horizon Bancorp has grown earnings per share at 20% per 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 Horizon Bancorp's Dividend

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Horizon Bancorp is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. 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.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 5 analysts we track are forecasting for Horizon Bancorp for free with public analyst estimates for the company. 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.