5 Defensive Healthcare Dividend Stocks To Buy

2. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)

Dividend Yield as of December 12: 3.32%

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) is a California-based biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the research and development of antiviral drugs. In December, Piper Sandler raised its price target on the stock to $104 with an Overweight rating on the shares, highlighting the company’s recent collaborations.

In Q3 2022, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) reported an operating cash flow of $2.9 billion and its free cash flow for the quarter came in at $2.7 billion. The company paid $928 million to shareholders in dividends and repurchased shares worth over $180 million during the quarter.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share for a dividend yield of 3.32%, as recorded on December 12. The company maintains a 12-year streak of dividend growth.

At the end of Q3 2022, 56 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD), valued at $3.63 billion collectively.

Ariel Investments mentioned Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) in its Q3 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“At the stock level, biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) was the top contributor in the quarter based on positive data released in a study evaluating Trodelvy versus comparative chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The detailed findings increased investor confidence the drug would receive incremental approvals for a broader range of breast cancer treatments. Shares also received a boost on news the TAF patent portfolio for HIV drugs will be extended from the middle of this decade through the early 2030s, thereby lengthening the company’s long-term opportunity in the virology market.”