MRK
¿Es seguro el dividendo de Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)?
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) currently pays a dividend yield of 2.9% with an FCF payout ratio of 66.1%. 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. Merck & Co., Inc.'s free-cash-flow payout ratio is 66.1%. 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 92.1%. 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. Merck & Co., Inc.'s 5-year dividend CAGR is 5.5%. 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.
How invest-like measures this
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.
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