3 Healthcare Giants Just Raised Dividends—Here’s Who Pays the Most

Core Insights - Major players in the healthcare sector are increasing their capital return commitments to shareholders, leading to higher dividends and evolving capital return strategies [3] Company Summaries - Stryker (NYSE: SYK): - Market capitalization is approximately $135 billion, making it a significant player in healthcare equipment and supplies [4] - Despite steady revenue growth and margins, Stryker's total return in 2025 is around -1% [4] - Recently announced a 4.8% increase in quarterly dividend to 88 cents per share, payable on January 30, 2026 [5] - Analysts have a bullish outlook with a consensus price target of just under $432, indicating a potential upside of 22% [6] - Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN): - Market capitalization is about $171 billion, ranking among the top ten in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals [6] - The stock has performed well in 2025 with a total return of approximately 26% [6] - Latest earnings report showed strong performance with 16 drugs achieving double-digit growth rates, and the largest revenue driver, Prolia, grew by 9% [6] - Amgen now offers a leading dividend yield of 3.2%, one of the few large-cap healthcare stocks above 3% [7] - Eli Lilly: - Along with Stryker and Amgen, Eli Lilly has also raised its dividends, indicating a trend of increased capital returns to shareholders [7] - Analysts maintain a positive outlook for Eli Lilly, with implied upside potential following Stryker and Amgen [7]