Healthcare remains the target of political pundits, regulators and other lawmakers thanks in part to rising costs. The problem is a growing and aging population that will continue to create a higher demand for more therapies, drugs and healthcare solutions. Finding a stock in the sector that has a diverse portfolio of products to take advantage of the demand trend but still avoid regulators’ handiwork is critical for investors. And, luckily, one of our Best Dividend Stocks List picks in the sector is up to the task.
Our firm is one of the largest healthcare stocks in the world and features a diverse portfolio of products. This includes everything from medical devices and biotech drugs to consumer products and now standard blockbuster medicines. This portfolio has allowed our pick to continue a solid pace of growth for decades while still rewarding shareholders via increased buybacks and dividends.
And the innovation continues. Our pick has quickly become one of the largest biotech firms in the world, with a robust pipeline of drugs targeting orphan and rare diseases. Meanwhile, thanks to smart M&A and R&D efforts, our pick has continued to expand its portfolio of higher-tech/high-margined medical devices. This includes new areas such as robotic surgery and diabetes products. These efforts and their higher margins will help our pick power through any potential legislation.
With strong gains and a recent 5%+ dividend increase under its belt, our pick continues to be a strong anchor for your portfolio.
To summarize, here are five reasons why you should own this stock:
- Total revenues jumped by more than 5% to cross the $80+ billion mark in revenue for full-year 2018. EPS jumped by over 12%!
- Large global portfolio covering pharmaceuticals, devices and even consumer products.
- Rich pipeline to fund future growth, with the firm continuing to rack up blockbuster drugs.
- Steadily increased its dividend for over 56 years straight. The latest round of increases was more than 5% at the start of 2019.
- Healthy payout ratio of 44% and a yield of 2.54%.
Our Best Dividend Stocks List has 20 of the highest-rated stocks by our proprietary rating system. Go Premium to find out the entire list.
