Medtronic (MDT +0.29%) may be the market's largest pure medical device player by revenue, but this company has a few more tricks up its sleeve. This stock boasts a strong dividend, one that -- while somewhat low in yield compared to many of the best in the health care sector at just a 1.8% yield -- has emerged as a reliable output over the past years. Medtronic ranks as one of the esteemed S&P dividend aristocrats, companies that have raised their dividends in each of at least the last 25 consecutive years.
Yet is Medtronic's dividend a strong option for the long term? This company has dealt with struggles in the cardiac device market, challenges that have harmed revenue and earnings growth as of late. Medtronic boasts strong cash flow and several up-and-coming businesses, such as its CoreValve transcatheter aortic heart valve, but this company needs to jump-start growth to a higher level to satisfy long-term investors.
Is that enough for this tried-and-true medical device dividend? Find out in the video below, as Motley Fool contributor Dan Carroll takes you through what you need to know with the medical device industry's top dividend -- and whether or not it can boost your portfolio's output in the long run.
