Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.27 per share on the 15th of December. This means the annual payment will be 1.9% of the current stock price, which is lower than the industry average.

See our latest analysis for Hancock Whitney

Hancock Whitney's Earnings Will Easily Cover The Distributions

While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible.

Hancock Whitney has established itself as a dividend paying company with over 10 years history of distributing earnings to shareholders. While past data isn't a guarantee for the future, Hancock Whitney's latest earnings report puts its payout ratio at 18%, showing that the company can pay out its dividends comfortably.

The next 3 years are set to see EPS grow by 7.3%. Analysts forecast the future payout ratio could be 19% over the same time horizon, which is a number we think the company can maintain.

Hancock Whitney Has A Solid Track Record

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2012, the annual payment back then was $0.96, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $1.08. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 1.2% per annum over that time. Dividends have grown relatively slowly, which is not great, but some investors may value the relative consistency of the dividend.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. It's encouraging to see that Hancock Whitney has been growing its earnings per share at 19% a 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.

We Really Like Hancock Whitney's Dividend

In summary, it is good to see that the dividend is staying consistent, and we don't think there is any reason to suspect this might change over the medium term. 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. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Hancock Whitney that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.

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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