10 Dividend Stocks with Sustainable Payout Ratios

6. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

5-Year Average Payout Ratio: 34.34%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is an American health insurance company. Healthcare is generally seen as a recession-proof sector, but health insurance is even more resilient since people require coverage no matter the economic conditions. Given this, it’s no surprise that investors flocked to the stock in March and have continued to do so, even amidst the tariff-related turmoil in April. The stock surged by over 9% in March.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) recently announced its Q1 2025 earnings, with revenues coming in at $109.5 billion, which showed a 9.8% growth from the same period last year. The company expanded its reach by serving an additional 780,000 consumers so far this year. Meanwhile, Optum Health maintained its outlook to serve 650,000 new patients under value-based care models in 2025. Company leadership noted that they are actively tackling current challenges to strengthen their position for the future, aiming to return to their long-term earnings growth target of 13% to 16%.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) also reported a strong cash position with an operating cash flow of $5.5 billion in the most recent quarter. The company also returned approximately $5 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. It has been making regular dividend payments to shareholders since 2010. Its payout ratio in the past five years averages at over 34%. Currently, it offers a quarterly dividend of $2.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.85%, as of April 17.