First Northwest Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWB) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming Dividend

First Northwest Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWB) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. Investors can purchase shares before the 12th of November in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 27th of November.

First Northwest Bancorp's next dividend payment will be US$0.06 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$0.24 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, First Northwest Bancorp stock has a trailing yield of around 2.0% on the current share price of $12.07. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether First Northwest Bancorp's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether First Northwest Bancorp has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

See our latest analysis for First Northwest Bancorp

Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. First Northwest Bancorp paid out just 21% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances.

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 how much of its profit First Northwest Bancorp paid out over the last 12 months.

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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. It's encouraging to see First Northwest Bancorp has grown its earnings rapidly, up 33% a year for the past five years.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. First Northwest Bancorp has delivered an average of 41% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past two years of dividend payments. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see.

The Bottom Line

Is First Northwest Bancorp an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Typically, companies that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings are keeping the profits for reinvestment in the business. This is one of the most attractive investment combinations under this analysis, as it can create substantial value for investors over the long run. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating First Northwest Bancorp more closely.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with First Northwest Bancorp and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top 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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