Fri Sep 20 13:07:33 UTC 2024: ## Investar Holding Co. Boosts Quarterly Dividend by 5%

**Investar Holding Co. (NASDAQ: ISTR)**, a financial services provider operating in the Southern United States, has announced a 5% increase in its quarterly dividend, according to a report released by Zacks on Wednesday, September 18th.

The new dividend, set at $0.105 per share, will be paid on Thursday, October 31st to shareholders of record as of Monday, September 30th. This translates to an annualized dividend of $0.42 and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date is also Monday, September 30th.

This latest increase marks a continued trend of dividend growth for Investar, which has raised its dividend payment by an average of 16.5% per year over the last three years. The company’s payout ratio of 20.5% suggests that the dividend is comfortably covered by earnings.

Analysts predict Investar to earn $1.94 per share next year, which would allow the company to continue covering its annual dividend with a projected payout ratio of 20.6%.

While Investar’s stock opened at $19.10 on Friday, analysts at StockNews.com recently downgraded the company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report published on August 5th.

Investar Holding Corporation is the parent company of Investar Bank, which provides a range of commercial banking products and services to individuals, professionals, and small to medium-sized businesses in south Louisiana, southeast Texas, and Alabama.

Read More