Right now is not a good time in the healthcare sector. Various companies across the space are well below highs while the broader stock market chugs along at all-time highs.
But just because something isn't hot right now doesn't mean investors shouldn't be digging for deals. Scooping up winners at discounted prices usually leads to good things over the long term.
The reality is that people and animals will always need medicine, treatments, and other products to live long and comfortable lives.
These three healthcare stocks are poised to perform well over the coming years and will pay you dividends. The best part? You can own all three for under $1,000.
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1. Zoetis
Animal health can fly under the radar, but it's a massive industry. Zoetis (ZTS -0.32%) provides various drugs and other healthcare products used to treat companion animals and livestock across the world. The company continuously innovates with a portfolio spanning seven major product categories and approximately 300 product lines. Animal health continues to grow as younger generations show increased interest in companion animals and global population growth spurs demand for animal proteins.
The company offers a nice blend of growth and dividends. Zoetis has outperformed the S&P 500 on a price appreciation basis since spinning off from Pfizer in 2013, plus it pays a dividend that it has raised every year since the spinoff. Management estimates the animal health market will grow from $48 billion in 2023 to $75 billion-$85 billion by 2033, and the company has historically grown faster than the industry.
Zoetis trades well off its 52-week high despite raising earnings guidance in its recent earnings report. The stock's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 25, its lowest ever. Analysts estimate Zoetis will grow earnings by an average of 9% to 10% annually over the next three to five years, making the stock a no-brainer for long-term investors.
2. Johnson & Johnson
Looking for peace of mind? Look no further than Johnson & Johnson (JNJ -0.07%), a pharmaceutical and medical device behemoth. Most associate the company with its former consumer products segment, but Johnson & Johnson spun that off as Kenvue in 2023. The spinoff enabled Johnson & Johnson to focus on its faster-growing segments, and it has invested in innovation to bolster its drug pipeline and medical equipment portfolio.
From a dividend standpoint, Johnson & Johnson is royalty -- a Dividend King. The company has paid and raised its dividend for 63 consecutive years, a remarkable feat and a testament to the high-quality business that Johnson & Johnson has built itself up to become. The stock is somewhat of a glacier, a slow and steady mover that won't make you rich overnight. That said, you can sleep peacefully holding shares and collect a 3% dividend yield that goes up each year.
Johnson & Johnson isn't perfect; the company still has some litigation hanging over its head related to its talcum powder. Fortunately, its AAA-rated balance sheet should help it absorb whatever fallout eventually comes of that. Right now, the stock is a solid bargain at a P/E ratio of 18, with Wall Street expecting just over 7% annualized earnings growth over the coming years.
3. Zimmer Biomet
People's bodies break down due to age or sometimes due to injuries. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH 0.41%) develops many of the products that make people whole again. Think joint replacement implants, dental implants, and products used to help repair ligament injuries in athletes. Additionally, Zimmer Biomet is into surgery robotics. The company is positioned well for steady long-term growth as the general population ages over the coming years. Management sees its addressable market growing at a mid-single-digit rate.
Zimmer Biomet doesn't have a long dividend track record; it only began paying one in 2012. Additionally, management doesn't raise it every year. The company actively acquires other companies as part of its growth strategy, so it tries to maintain a low payout ratio. The current dividend is just 12% of its estimated 2025 earnings, so this stock has massive dividend growth potential if management decides to return more of its profits to shareholders.
Tariff concerns have weighed on the stock, but Zimmer Biomet just popped after raising its 2025 guidance on the realization that tariffs won't impact the company as severely as initially feared. There is still time to buy. Zimmer Biomet trades at just 11 times 2025 earnings estimates, a fantastic price for a proven company that Wall Street expects will grow earnings by 5% to 6% annually over the next three to five years.
