The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, April 1, edition that knowing a company's payout ratio is important because it will help you determine the safety of the dividend and its prospects for growth. The Globe's John Heinzl writes that many companies -- particularly those that make it a priority to pay an attractive dividend that grows over time -- discuss the payout ratio in earnings releases or elsewhere on their website because they know shareholders are looking for this information. Some companies specify a target range for their payout ratio. Enbridge ($55.71) aims to pay out 50 per cent to 60 per cent of "available cash flow from operations," or ACFFO -- a range it says provides "a healthy balance between returning income to shareholders and retaining income for reinvestment in new growth opportunities." ACFFO is a measure of operating cash flow adjusted for certain items, including payment of preferred-share dividends, maintenance capital expenditures and non-recurring factors. Finding information about a company's payout ratio often requires some digging.