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Data last updated: Oct 16, 2026
Snapshot (as of Oct 16, 2026): UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) pays a $2.21 annual dividend ($0.55 quarterly), yielding 2.28% at $399.70/share. Next ex-dividend date 2026-09-14. 26 consecutive years of dividend growth (Dividend Aristocrat). Source: Yahoo Finance, aggregated by MerryDiv.
Dividend Yield: 2.28%
Annual Dividend: $2.21 per share
Payout Ratio: 57.6%
Ex-Dividend Date: 2026-09-14
Dividend Frequency: quarterly
Sector: Healthcare
Years of Dividend History: 37
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated dividend investors are looking at one of the largest health care companies in the United States, operating across insurance, pharmacy care, and health services through brands like UnitedHealthcare and Optum. The current yield stands at 2.45%, with trailing twelve-month payments of $8.95 per share paid quarterly. The next ex-dividend date is September 14, 2026, with the last declared payment at $2.32 per share. A Dividend Aristocrat with a beta of 0.615, UNH stock appeals to income investors who want lower price volatility alongside a growing payout.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated pays out 57.6% of earnings as dividends, a payout ratio classified as moderate (40–60%). That level leaves a meaningful buffer, supported by a business spanning employer health plans, Medicaid programs, pharmacy benefit management through Optum Rx, and software services through Optum Insight — all areas with recurring, contractually driven demand. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated dividend safety faces its most direct pressure from the payout ratio sitting near the upper end of the moderate range, which leaves less room to absorb earnings disruptions than a lower ratio would.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated dividend history shows a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.9% per year from 2011 to 2025. The per-share annual dividend grew from $0.6125 in 2011 to $8.73 in 2025 (2026 data is partial and excluded from this calculation). The smallest annual increase in the window was 6.7% in 2025, a notable step down from the pace that defined most of the prior decade. For dividend investors focused on income growth, even that slower rate still outpaces most inflation benchmarks.
| Period | CAGR | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Year | +10.9% | $6.40 (2022) | $8.73 (2025) |
| 5-Year | +12.6% | $4.83 (2020) | $8.73 (2025) |
| 10-Year | +16.6% | $1.88 (2015) | $8.73 (2025) |
UNH stock fits dividend investors who prioritize growing income over maximum current yield. The 2.45% yield is moderate (2–4%), and it sits well above the 5-year average yield of 1.54%, meaning today's entry point delivers more income than the stock has historically offered. Twenty-six consecutive years of dividend increases confirm Dividend Aristocrat status, and the 20.9% CAGR over the 2011–2025 window is the defining trait here: this is a growth-of-income story, not a high-yield play. The trade-off is a payout ratio approaching the top of the moderate band, which narrows the cushion if earnings come under pressure.
UNH is a Dividend Aristocrat with 26 consecutive years of dividend increases.
| Payment Date | Amount per Share |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-14 | $2.3200 |
| 2026-06-15 | $2.3200 |
| 2026-03-09 | $2.2100 |
| 2025-12-08 | $2.2100 |
| 2025-09-15 | $2.2100 |
| 2025-06-16 | $2.2100 |
| 2025-03-10 | $2.1000 |
| 2024-12-09 | $2.1000 |
| 2024-09-16 | $2.1000 |
| 2024-06-17 | $2.1000 |
| Year | Total Dividends |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $6.8500 |
| 2025 | $8.7300 |
| 2024 | $8.1800 |
| 2023 | $7.2900 |
| 2022 | $6.4000 |
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