Dividend Coverage Ratio

How many times over a company could pay its dividend from earnings. The inverse of the payout ratio.

Dividend Coverage Ratio — How many times over a company could pay its dividend from earnings. The inverse of the payout ratio.

Key facts

Category
Dividends
Definition
How many times over a company could pay its dividend from earnings. The inverse of the payout ratio.
Formula
Dividend Coverage = EPS / Dividend per share
Live example
/research/stock/JNJ
Last updated
2026-06-17

Formula

Dividend Coverage = EPS / Dividend per share

Worked example

EPS $4.00, dividend $1.00 → coverage 4.0× (could pay the dividend four times over).

Interpretive bands

< 1.0×
Paying more than it earns — unsustainable.
1.0 – 1.5×
Thin margin. Earnings drop threatens the dividend.
1.5 – 3.0×
Healthy.
> 3.0×
Strong cushion. Dividend safe even in significant earnings stress.

How IndexAlpha uses Dividend Coverage Ratio

Surfaced on the Dividend card. Coverage from free cash flow is also tracked separately — it's a stricter test than earnings coverage.

See it live

The Dividend Coverage Ratio metric shows up on every IndexAlpha research page. See it now on JNJ — or research any stock to view its Dividend Coverage Ratio.

Related terms

Common questions

What is Dividend Coverage Ratio?

How many times over a company could pay its dividend from earnings. The inverse of the payout ratio.

How is Dividend Coverage Ratio calculated?

Dividend Coverage = EPS / Dividend per share. EPS $4.00, dividend $1.00 → coverage 4.0× (could pay the dividend four times over).

How does IndexAlpha use Dividend Coverage Ratio?

Surfaced on the Dividend card. Coverage from free cash flow is also tracked separately — it's a stricter test than earnings coverage.

Sources