Pharma dividends powered by strong drug pipelines that extend well past COVID-19-related treatments.The “shot in the arm” the sector received from COVID-19 vaccines and therapies has worn off along with demand. But that won’t slow the upward progress of top pharmaceutical stocks.
In fact, U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly just jumped to an all-time high this week on a year-over-year revenue increase of 28 per cent – in part because of sales of diabetes drug Mounjaro, which is in high demand for off-label use as a weight-loss drug. Looking ahead, top industry players have the kind of drug lineups and development pipelines needed for long-term success. The best of them also have strong cash flow to sustain heavy research spending and shareholder dividends.
Our search focused on global pharmaceutical leaders that have these quality markers and also pay dividends. We then applied our TSI Dividend Sustainability Rating System, which awards points to a stock based on key factors:two points if it has raised the payment in the past five years;one point for operating in non-cyclical industries;two points for a strong balance sheet, including manageable debt and adequate cash;one point if the company is an industry leader.
Companies with 10 to 12 points have the most secure dividends, or the highest sustainability. Those with seven to nine points have above-average sustainability; average sustainability, four to six points; and below average sustainability, one to three points.