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 1 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's health. The FCF payout ratio measures the percent of free cash flow devoted toward paying the dividend. Again, a ratio greater than 80% could be a red flag.
Each of these ratios reflects dividends paid in the trailing 12 months, while yields are the expected forward yield. Let's examine Medtronic
Company |
Yield |
Interest Coverage |
EPS Payout Ratio |
FCF Payout Ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|
Medtronic |
2.9% |
11.0 |
32.1% |
31.6% |
Johnson & Johnson |
3.6% |
29.6 |
54.1% |
N/A |
Abbott Laboratories |
3.6% |
14.0 |
64.8% |
N/A |
Pfizer |
4.2% |
9.7 |
71% |
34.4% |
Source: S&P Capital IQ. N/A = not available.
With an interest coverage of 11, Medtronic covers every $1 in interest expenses with $11 in operating earnings. Given that its EPS payout ratio and FCF payout ratio are below 35%, you shouldn't have to worry that Medtronic 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.
- Add Medtronic to My Watchlist.
- Add Johnson & Johnson to My Watchlist.
- Add Abbott Laboratories to My Watchlist.
- Add Pfizer to My Watchlist.