Eaton: Dividend Dynamo or Blowup?

Dividend investing is a tried-and-true strategy for generating strong, steady returns in economies both good and bad. But as corporate America's slew of dividend cuts and suspensions over the past few years has demonstrated, it's not enough simply to buy a high yield. You also need to make sure those payouts are sustainable.
Let's examine how Eaton (NYSE: ETN) stacks up. In this series, we consider four critical factors investors should examine in every dividend stock. We'll then tie it all together to look at whether Eaton is a dividend dynamo or a disaster in the making.
1. YieldFirst and foremost, dividend investors like a large forward yield. But if a yield gets too high, it may reflect investors' doubts about the payout's sustainability. If investors had confidence in the stock, they'd be buying it, driving up the share price and shrinking the yield.
Eaton yields 2.8%, a bit higher than the S&P 500's 2.1%.
2. Payout ratioThe payout ratio might be the most important metric for judging dividend sustainability. It compares the amount of money a company paid out in dividends last year to the earnings it generated. A ratio that's too high -- say, greater than 80% of earnings -- indicates that the company may be stretching to make payouts it can't afford, even when its dividend yield doesn't seem particularly high.
Eaton has a modest payout ratio of 35%.
3. Balance sheetThe best dividend payers have the financial fortitude to fund growth and respond to whatever the economy and competitors throw at them. The interest coverage ratio indicates whether a company is having trouble meeting its interest payments -- any ratio less than five is a warning sign. Meanwhile, the debt-to-equity ratio is a good measure of a company's total debt burden.
Eaton has a reasonable debt-to-equity ratio of 49% and an interest coverage rate of 13 times.
4. GrowthA large dividend is nice; a large growing dividend is even better. To support a growing dividend, we also want to see earnings growth.
Over the past five years, Eaton's earnings per share have shrunk at an average annual rate of 5%, while its dividend has grown at a 13% rate.
The Foolish bottom lineEaton exhibits a strong dividend bill of health. It has a moderate yield, a modest payout ratio, reasonable debt, and growth to boot. It would be great if its yield were a bit higher. But, assuming the company continues to grow its dividend -- which should be possible given its earnings growth and low payout ratio -- Eaton could very well be a dividend dynamo.
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