First Mid(US:FMBH) ZACKS·2025-01-28 17:46Company Overview - First Mid Bancshares (FMBH) is a bank holding company headquartered in Mattoon, with a year-to-date price change of 5.81% [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.24 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.46%, which is slightly below the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.56% and above the S&P 500's yield of 1.48% [3] Dividend Performance - The annualized dividend of First Mid Bancshares is $0.96, reflecting a 2.1% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the past five years, the company has increased its dividend four times, achieving an average annual increase of 4.04% [4] - The current payout ratio stands at 28%, indicating that the company distributes 28% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Outlook - For the fiscal year 2025, the Zacks Consensus Estimate projects earnings of $3.53 per share, with an expected growth of 1.44% compared to the previous year [5] Investment Considerations - Dividends are favored by investors for various reasons, including tax advantages and risk reduction in portfolios [6] - Larger, established companies are more likely to offer dividends, while tech start-ups and high-growth businesses typically do not [7] - First Mid Bancshares is positioned as an attractive dividend investment opportunity, holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [7]