The Most Promising Dividends in Perfumes and Cosmetics

Dividend payers deserve a berth in any long-term stock portfolio. But seemingly attractive dividend yields are not always as fetching as they may appear. Let's see which companies in the perfumes and cosmetics industry offer the most promising dividends.

Yields and growth rates and payout ratios, oh my!
Before we get to those companies, though, you should understand just why you'd want to own dividend payers. These stocks can contribute a huge chunk of growth to your portfolio in good times, and bolster it during market downturns.

As my colleague Matt Koppenheffer has noted: "Between 2000 and 2009, the average dividend-adjusted return on stocks with market caps above $5 billion and a trailing yield of 2.5% or better was a whopping 114%. Compare that to a 19% drop for the S&P 500."

When hunting for promising dividend payers, unsophisticated investors will often just look for the highest yields they can find. While these stocks will indeed pay out the most, the yield figures apply only for the current year. Extremely steep dividend yields can be precarious, and even solid ones are vulnerable to dividend cuts.

When evaluating a company's attractiveness in terms of its dividend, it's important to examine at least three factors:

1. The current yield
2. The dividend growth
3. The payout ratio

If a company has a middling dividend yield, but a history of increasing its payment substantially from year to year, it deserves extra consideration. A $3 dividend can become $7.80 in 10 years, if it grows at 10% annually. (It will top $20 after 20 years.) Thus, a 3% yield today may be more attractive than a 4% one, if the 3% company is rapidly increasing that dividend.

Next, consider the company's payout ratio, which reflects what percentage of income the company is spending on its dividend. In general, the lower the number, the better. A low payout ratio means there's plenty of room for generous dividend increases. It also means that much of the company's income remains in its hands, giving it a lot of flexibility. That money can fund the business's expansion, pay off debt, buy back shares, or even buy other companies. A steep payout ratio reflects little flexibility for the company, less room for dividend growth, and a stronger chance that if the company falls on hard times, it will have to reduce its dividend.

Peering into perfumes and cosmetics
Below, I've compiled some of the major dividend-paying players in the perfumes and cosmetics industry (and a few smaller outfits), ranked according to their dividend yields:

Company	Recent Yield	5-Year Avg. Annual Div. Growth Rate	Payout Ratio	My Watchlist
Avon Products (NYSE: AVP  )	3.3%	6.1%	63%	Add
Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL  )	2.9%	12.4%	47%	Add
Inter Parfums (Nasdaq: IPAR  )	1.7%	16.9%	30%	Add
Alberto-Culver (NYSE: ACV  )	0.9%	(5.2%)	20%	Add
Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL  )	0.8%	9.2%	25%	Add

Data: Motley Fool CAPS.

If you focus on dividend yield alone, you might end up with Avon Products -- but its less than stellar dividend growth means it's not necessarily your best bet.

Instead, let's focus on the dividend growth rate first, where Inter Parfums leads the way. Its growth rate is fairly steep, but given its relatively low payout ratio, that's not an immediate worry.

You may also notice that major industry players such as Elizabeth Arden (Nasdaq: RDEN  ) and Revlon (NYSE: REV  ) didn't make the list -- because they don't pay dividends at the moment. Revlon has been struggling in recent years, but may be turning itself around. Instead of paying a dividend, it probably prefers to focus on growing its business and paying down its considerable debt. Elizabeth Arden has also needed to focus more on growth and profitability than on paying out excess cash.

Just right
Within this group, I think Colgate-Palmolive gives you the best of everything for a dividend stock. It sports a yield close to 3%, a healthy dividend growth rate, and a reasonable payout ratio. (It offers exposure to much more than cosmetics and perfume, as well!) Avon and Inter Parfums are also appealing, but Avon doesn't seem likely to offer big dividend growth, and Inter Parfums' yield is a bit lower than the others. Still, they all offer some solid income now and a good chance of dividend growth in the future.

Of course, as with all stocks, you'll want to look into more than just a company's dividend situation before making a purchase decision. Still, these stocks' compelling dividends make them great places to start your search, particularly if you're excited by the prospects for this industry.

Do your portfolio a favor. Don't ignore the growth you can gain from powerful dividend payers.