10 Stocks With A Strong Cash To Dividend Coverage

Dividends are not paid with sales, earnings, EPS, EBIT or EBITDA. Instead dividends are paid with cash. As an investor, you want to pay close attention to the cash flow statement. Unfortunately, it is probably the least used and most misunderstood statement. Ultimately, cash flow is what drives the value of any financial asset. The reason analysts look at revenue, EPS, EBIT, EBITDA and margins, they are trying to estimate the level of cash the company will generate in the future. Dividends In Downturns When a company consistently generates more cash than it uses, it is able to increase dividends paid, buy back shares, reduce debt, or acquire another company. However, as we learned in the 2008-2009 economic downturn, businesses sometimes go through lean times. When the economy slows, investors in dividend growth stocks not only expect their dividend to continue, but they also expect it to continue to grow. Some companies do it with debt or by issuing shares. However, some really fortunate companies are able to access the cash from an unusual place... directly from their balance sheet. Cash To Dividend Coverage Below are several companies that have accumulated large balances of cash relative to their dividends, along with the percentage of cash on hand compared to the cash paid for dividends over the last twelve months: Intel Corporation (INTC) Yield: 3.4% | Coverage: 115% Intel Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of microprocessors, the central processing units of PCs, and also produces other semiconductor products. Microsoft (MSFT) Yield: 2.4% | Coverage: 141% Microsoft, the world's largest software company, develops PC software, including the Windows operating system and the Office application suite. Cincinnati Financial Corp. (CINF) Yield: 5.6% | Coverage: 150% Cincinnati Financial Corp. markets primarily property and casualty coverage. It also conducts life insurance and asset management operations. ConocoPhillips Co. (COP) Yield: 3.5% | Coverage: 183% ConocoPhillips Co.12... Read more