Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBSH) Passed Our Checks, And It's About To Pay A US$0.275 Dividend

Readers hoping to buy Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBSH) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Thus, you can purchase Commerce Bancshares' shares before the 4th of September in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 22nd of September.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.275 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.10 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Commerce Bancshares has a trailing yield of 1.9% on the current share price of US$58.04. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Commerce Bancshares's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Commerce Bancshares can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Commerce Bancshares paid out a comfortable 26% of its profit last year.

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.

View our latest analysis for Commerce Bancshares

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

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 earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. For this reason, we're glad to see Commerce Bancshares's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past 10 years, Commerce Bancshares has increased its dividend at approximately 7.7% 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.

Final Takeaway

Has Commerce Bancshares got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Companies like Commerce Bancshares that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings, are usually reinvesting heavily in their business. This strategy can add significant value to shareholders over the long term - as long as it's done without issuing too many new shares. We think this is a pretty attractive combination, and would be interested in investigating Commerce Bancshares more closely.

While it's tempting to invest in Commerce Bancshares for the dividends alone, you should always be mindful of the risks involved. To help with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Commerce Bancshares that you should be aware of before investing in their shares.

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.