CTSH
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) currently pays a dividend yield of 2.6% with an FCF payout ratio of 23.0%. Dividend safety isn't about the yield - high yields often signal stress - it's about whether free cash flow comfortably covers the payment. The full coverage analysis is below. Educational only, not investment advice.
FCF payout coverage. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation's free-cash-flow payout ratio is 23.0%. Below 60% is comfortable - the business is keeping at least 40% of cash for reinvestment, debt reduction, or buybacks. Between 60-90% is workable but tighter; above 90% leaves no buffer, which is where dividend cuts become a real risk during a downturn.
Earnings vs FCF. The traditional payout ratio (dividends / earnings) sits at 27.5%. Compared against the FCF payout ratio above, large gaps indicate one of two things: accounting earnings being inflated by non-cash items (FCF payout much higher than earnings payout - red flag) or aggressive cash management lifting near-term FCF (FCF payout much lower than earnings payout - sometimes a sign of working-capital releases that won't repeat).
Growth track record. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation's 5-year dividend CAGR is -7.2%. Consistent growth across at least one downturn is the gold standard - it means management treats the dividend as a commitment, not a discretionary outflow. A 5-year track record without a cut during the last recession is much stronger evidence than a high current yield.
La seguridad del dividendo no es el rendimiento - un rendimiento alto a menudo señala estrés. Es la cobertura: ¿el free cash-flow cubre cómodamente el dividendo con margen? El score de seguridad del dividendo de invest-like pondera tres señales: ratio de pago FCF (por debajo del 60% es cómodo; por encima del 90% es frágil), ratio de pago sobre beneficios (menos fiable que el FCF porque los devengos pueden enmascarar déficits de caja), e historial de crecimiento del dividendo (CAGR a 5 años consistente vs recortes en la última recesión).
Solo educativo - incluso un dividendo con calificación A puede recortarse mañana por una sola decisión del consejo. Medimos la capacidad financiera documentada para mantener el pago, no una predicción de la intención del management.
Análisis con el marco, con fines educativos. No es asesoramiento de inversión, ni una recomendación, ni está adaptado a tu situación personal. Haz siempre tu propia investigación.