Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase Cullen/Frost Bankers' shares before the 30th of August in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 13th of September.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.95 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$3.80 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Cullen/Frost Bankers stock has a trailing yield of around 3.4% on the current share price of US$111.79. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Cullen/Frost Bankers'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.

View our latest analysis for Cullen/Frost Bankers

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. That's why it's good to see Cullen/Frost Bankers paying out a modest 45% of its earnings.

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.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. This is why it's a relief to see Cullen/Frost Bankers earnings per share are up 3.4% per annum over the last five years.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Cullen/Frost Bankers has delivered an average of 6.6% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.