The board of United Security Bancshares (NASDAQ:UBFO) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 22nd of July, with investors receiving $0.12 per share. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 5.2%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

United Security Bancshares' Payment Expected To Have Solid Earnings Coverage

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained.

United Security Bancshares has established itself as a dividend paying company, given its 8-year history of distributing earnings to shareholders. Taking data from its last earnings report, calculating for the company's payout ratio of 62%shows that United Security Bancshares would be able to pay its last dividend without pressure on the balance sheet.

EPS is set to fall by 1.5% over the next 12 months if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the future payout ratio could be 70%, which we consider to be quite comfortable, with most of the company's earnings left over to grow the business in the future.

Check out our latest analysis for United Security Bancshares

United Security Bancshares Doesn't Have A Long Payment History

It is great to see that United Security Bancshares has been paying a stable dividend for a number of years now, however we want to be a bit cautious about whether this will remain true through a full economic cycle. Since 2017, the dividend has gone from $0.20 total annually to $0.48. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12% a year over that time. United Security Bancshares has been growing its dividend quite rapidly, which is exciting. However, the short payment history makes us question whether this performance will persist across a full market cycle.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. United Security Bancshares hasn't seen much change in its earnings per share over the last five years.

In Summary

Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. While United Security Bancshares is earning enough to cover the dividend, we are generally unimpressed with its future prospects. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. See if management have their own wealth at stake, by checking insider shareholdings in United Security Bancshares stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.