As a dividend investor, it pays to follow how much of a company's money goes toward funding its dividend. A nice yield now won't matter much if the company can't keep making those payments going forward.

Here, we'll highlight a given company and its closest competitors to see just how safe their dividends are, with a little help from three crucial tools:

  • The interest coverage ratio, or earnings before interest and taxes, divided by interest expense. The interest coverage ratio measures a company's ability to pay the interest on its debt. An interest coverage ratio less than 1.5 is questionable; a number less than one means that the company is not bringing in enough money to cover its interest expenses.
  • The EPS payout ratio, or dividends per share divided by earnings per share. The EPS payout ratio measures the percentage of earnings that go toward paying the dividend. A ratio greater than 80% is worrisome.
  • The FCF payout ratio, or dividends per share divided by free cash flow per share. Earnings alone don't always paint a complete picture of a business' health. The FCF payout ratio measures the percent of free cash flow devoted toward paying the dividend. Again, a ratio greater 80% could be a red flag.

Let's examine FLIR Systems (Nasdaq: FLIR) and three of its peers.

Company

Yield

Interest Coverage

EPS Payout Ratio

FCF Payout Ratio

FLIR Systems

0.9%

205.1

9.1%

20.8%

Honeywell International (NYSE: HON)

3.0%

9.5

40.6%

56.5%

L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL)

2.9%

6.7

19.9%

22.4%

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)

5.4%

11.4

36.1%

39.6%

Source: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's.

With an interest coverage of 205.1, FLIR Systems covers every $1 in interest expenses with more than $200 in operating earnings. And given its EPS payout ratio is below 10% and its FCF payout ratio is below 20%, you shouldn't have to worry that FLIR will need to cut its dividend anytime soon.

Another tool for better investing
Most investors don't keep tabs on their companies. That's a mistake. If you take the time to read past the headlines and crack a filing now and then, you're in a much better position to spot potential trouble early. We can help you keep tabs on your companies with My Watchlist, our free, personalized stock-tracking service.