Altria's Dividend Is Safe

Source from:  Fool 10/24/2011

Dividend investors know that it pays to follow how much of a company's money goes toward funding its payouts. 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' health. The FCF payout ratio measures the percentage of free cash flow devoted toward paying the dividend. Again, a ratio greater than 80% could be a red flag.Each of these ratios reflect dividends paid in the trailing 12 months; yields are the expected forward yield. Let's examine Altria Group (NYSE: MO - News) and three of its peers.CompanyYieldInterest CoverageEPS Payout RatioFCF Payout RatioAltria Group6%5.792.7%68.3%Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM - News)4.7%14.313.5%NALorillard (NYSE: LO - News)4.6%17.066.3%57.7%British American Tobacco (AMEX: BTI - News)4.1%9.073.2%71.4%Source: S&P Capital IQ.With an interest coverage of 5.7, Altria covers every $1 in interest expenses with almost $6 in operating earnings. While its EPS payout ratio is a high 92.7%, Altria's FCF payout ratio is below 70%. As such, you shouldn't have to worry that Altria will need to cut its dividend anytime soon.Another tool for better investingMost 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 Altria Group to My Watchlist.Add Philip Morris International to My Watchlist.Add Lorillard to My Watchlist.Add British American Tobacco to My Watchlist. Enditem