Healthcare dividend stocks
Large pharmaceutical and medical companies often generate strong, steady cash flow and return much of it as dividends. Demand for healthcare doesn't depend much on the economy, but individual companies face risks such as patent expirations, drug pricing rules and lawsuits.
How this list is built: US-listed stocks in the Healthcare sector in our data with a yield of 1% to 12% and a share price of at least $5. The payout ratio must be 100% of earnings or less; where the dividend history allows, dividends paid over the last 12 months must be no more than 5% below the 12 months before, and high payers (8% or more) whose share price fell 10% or more over the past year are left out. Highest yield first. Refreshed daily from our dividend data.
| # | Stock | Yield | Annual dividend | Pays | Payout ratio | Dividend growth, 1 yr | Next ex-dividend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVO Novo Nordisk A/S | 4.79% | $1.85 | Semi-annual | 45% | +10.2% | Feb 15, 2027 own by Feb 12, 2027 |
| 2 | BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | 4.10% | $2.52 | Quarterly | 55% | +1.6% | Jan 1, 2027 own by Dec 31, 2026 |
| 3 | GSK GSK plc | 3.56% | $1.82 | Quarterly | 57% | +10.3% | Nov 13, 2026 own by Nov 12, 2026 |
| 4 | MDT Medtronic plc. | 3.04% | $2.86 | Quarterly | 70% | +1.4% | Dec 25, 2026 own by Dec 24, 2026 |
| 5 | CVS CVS Health Corporation | 2.92% | $2.66 | Quarterly | 70% | 0.0% | Oct 22, 2026 |
| 6 | ABT Abbott Laboratories | 2.44% | $2.52 | Quarterly | 79% | +6.8% | Jan 14, 2027 own by Jan 13, 2027 |
| 7 | AMGN Amgen Inc. | 2.23% | $9.96 | Quarterly | 61% | +5.9% | Nov 20, 2026 own by Nov 19, 2026 |
| 8 | UNH UnitedHealth Group Incorporated | 2.21% | $9.07 | Quarterly | 58% | +5.1% | Dec 14, 2026 own by Dec 11, 2026 |
| 9 | GILD Gilead Sciences, Inc. | 2.07% | $3.26 | Quarterly | 43% | +3.5% | Dec 15, 2026 own by Dec 14, 2026 |
| 10 | JNJ Johnson & Johnson | 1.96% | $5.28 | Quarterly | 80% | +3.9% | Nov 24, 2026 own by Nov 23, 2026 |
| 11 | ELV Elevance Health, Inc. | 1.63% | $6.88 | Quarterly | 30% | +1.6% | Dec 10, 2026 own by Dec 9, 2026 |
| 12 | RPRX Royalty Pharma plc | 1.45% | $0.94 | Quarterly | 48% | +6.3% | Nov 13, 2026 own by Nov 12, 2026 |
Figures are estimates, can be delayed or wrong, and are not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
Where healthcare dividends come from
Big drug makers and medical device companies earn high margins on established products and pay part of those profits as dividends. Many have long records of annual increases.
Patent cliffs
When a best-selling drug loses patent protection, cheaper generics can quickly take its sales. Check how much of a company's revenue depends on drugs nearing expiry and whether new products can replace it.
Frequently asked questions
Do healthcare stocks pay dividends?
Many large pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare companies do, often with long records of increases. Smaller biotech companies usually don't.
Are healthcare dividends safe in a recession?
Healthcare demand is less sensitive to the economy than most sectors, which helps, but company-specific risks such as patent expiries matter more.
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