Readers hoping to buy Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE:CBU) 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 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 an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Therefore, if you purchase Community Financial System's shares on or after the 14th of March, you won't be eligible to receive the dividend, when it is paid on the 10th of April.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.46 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$1.84 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Community Financial System has a trailing yield of 3.1% on the current share price of US$59.56. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Community Financial System

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Community Financial System paid out 53% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses.

Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.NYSE:CBU Historic Dividend March 9th 2025

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks with flat earnings can still be attractive dividend payers, but it is important to be more conservative with your approach and demand a greater margin for safety when it comes to dividend sustainability. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. It's not encouraging to see that Community Financial System's earnings are effectively flat over the past five years. It's better than seeing them drop, certainly, but over the long term, all of the best dividend stocks are able to meaningfully grow their earnings per share.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the last 10 years, Community Financial System has lifted its dividend by approximately 5.1% a year on average.

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To Sum It Up

Has Community Financial System got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Community Financial System has been struggling to generate growth while also paying out more than half of its earnings to shareholders as dividends. In sum this is a middling combination, and we find it hard to get excited about the company from a dividend perspective.

Wondering what the future holds for Community Financial System? See what the six analysts we track are forecasting,  with this visualisation of its historical and future estimated earnings and cash flow

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.

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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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