It looks like LINKBANCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:LNKB) is about to go ex-dividend in the next three days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. Thus, you can purchase LINKBANCORP's shares before the 28th of February in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 15th of March.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.075 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.30 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, LINKBANCORP has a trailing yield of approximately 4.4% on its current stock price of US$6.78. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether LINKBANCORP's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. LINKBANCORP reported a loss after tax last year, which means it's paying a dividend despite being unprofitable. While this might be a one-off event, this is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term.

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

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. LINKBANCORP was unprofitable last year and, unfortunately, the general trend suggests its earnings have been in decline over the last five years, making us wonder if the dividend is sustainable at all.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. LINKBANCORP's dividend payments are broadly unchanged compared to where they were two years ago. If a company's dividend stays flat while earnings are in decline, this is typically a sign that it is paying out a larger percentage of its earnings. This can become unsustainable if earnings fall far enough.

Get our latest analysis on LINKBANCORP's balance sheet health here.

The Bottom Line

Should investors buy LINKBANCORP for the upcoming dividend? It's definitely not great to see that it paid a dividend despite reporting a loss last year. Worse, the general trend in its earnings looks negative in recent times. LINKBANCORP doesn't appear to have a lot going for it, and we're not inclined to take a risk on owning it for the dividend.

With that being said, if you're still considering LINKBANCORP as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. Be aware that LINKBANCORP is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

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.