ACNB Corporation (NASDAQ:ACNB) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 15th of December to $0.28. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 2.9%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

View our latest analysis for ACNB

ACNB's Dividend Forecasted To Be Well Covered By Earnings

We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important.

ACNB has established itself as a dividend paying company with over 10 years history of distributing earnings to shareholders. Past distributions do not necessarily guarantee future ones, but ACNB's payout ratio of 30% is a good sign as this means that earnings decently cover dividends.

If the trend of the last few years continues, EPS will grow by 17.7% over the next 12 months. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the future payout ratio will be 27%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

ACNB Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from $0.76 total annually to $1.12. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.0% a year over that time. Although we can't deny that the dividend has been remarkably stable in the past, the growth has been pretty muted.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. We are encouraged to see that ACNB has grown earnings per share at 18% 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.

ACNB Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. You can also discover whether shareholders are aligned with insider interests by checking our visualisation of insider shareholdings and trades in ACNB stock. 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.

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