FTSE 100 dividend cover looking 'skinny' for highest yielding firms

Few companies offering 'margin of safety'

FTSE 100 companies with the "juiciest-looking" dividend yields also have some of the lowest levels of dividend cover, with only one company in the top ten highest yielders offering a "comfortable" amount, according to the latest Dividend Dashboard from AJ Bell.

Looking at data from Thomson Reuters throughout Q3, the firm found analysts have started to trim their profit forecasts, meaning dividend cover is 1.66 for the FTSE 100 as a whole. This is under the 2.0 level where an investor can expect a "margin of safety" that dividend payments will be made.    Which FTSE 100 companies have increased their dividends for the longest time? Although 61 FTSE 100 firms offer dividend cover of at least 2.0 times for 2017, the report highlighted that those with the highest yields had dividend cover that looked "particularly skinny". The average cove...