Citizens & Northern Corporation (NASDAQ:CZNC) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 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 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. Meaning, you will need to purchase Citizens & Northern's shares before the 3rd of February to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 14th of February.

The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.28 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$1.12 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Citizens & Northern stock has a trailing yield of around 5.0% on the current share price of US$22.36. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

View our latest analysis for Citizens & Northern

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Citizens & Northern paid out 66% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses.

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.

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

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Citizens & Northern, with earnings per share up 2.7% on average over the last five years.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Citizens & Northern has increased its dividend at approximately 0.7% a year on average.

The Bottom Line

Should investors buy Citizens & Northern for the upcoming dividend? Earnings per share have been growing at a reasonable rate, and the company is paying out a bit over half its earnings as dividends. We're unconvinced on the company's merits, and think there might be better opportunities out there.

Curious what other investors think of Citizens & Northern? See what analysts 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.