The extent to which a company’s earnings can pay its dividend payouts is assessed by a financial metric. This metric reveals how many times a company could pay dividends to shareholders from its net income. For example, a value of 2 indicates that the business has enough profits to cover its dividend obligations twice over.
A high figure typically suggests a company’s dividends are secure and sustainable, offering reassurance to investors. This metric is crucial in assessing financial health and long-term viability. Historically, it provides insights into a company’s dividend policy and its ability to maintain or increase payouts in the future.