With the 10-Year Treasury yielding 4.48% and the Fed signaling more cuts ahead, income investors are hunting for yield that compounds. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY | BMY Price Prediction) offers a 4.39% yield backed by 94 consecutive years of dividend payments. The pharma giant is rebuilding around a Growth Portfolio (Eliquis, Camzyos, Breyanzi) while legacy drugs face generic erosion. The question I want answered: is this payout actually safe?
Dividend Snapshot
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual Dividend | $2.52 per share |
| Dividend Yield | 4.39% |
| Consecutive Increases | 17 years |
| Most Recent Increase | 1.6% (February 2026) |
| Aristocrat Status | No (17 of 25 years) |
Payout Ratios Leave Real Room to Breathe
BMY paid out roughly $5.15 billion in dividends against FY2025 non-GAAP EPS of $6.15, putting the earnings payout ratio near 41%. Through nine months of 2025, operating cash flow hit $6.3 billion, comfortably above the ~$3.9 billion of dividends paid in the same window.
| Metric | Value | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Earnings Payout Ratio | ~41% | Healthy |
| OCF Coverage (9M 2025) | ~1.6x | Adequate |
| 2026 EPS Guidance | $6.05 to $6.35 | Covers dividend 2.4x |
Leverage Is Elevated but Manageable
| Metric | Value | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Net Debt | ~$33.6B | Elevated |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | ~1.8x | Manageable |
| EBITDA (TTM) | $18.97B | Strong |
| Cash on Hand | $9.57B | Solid Buffer |
A dovish Fed matters here: lower refinancing costs on that ~$49B debt stack directly protect cash available for shareholders.
The Streak Is Intact, Growth Is Modest
| Year | Annual Dividend |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $2.52 |
| 2025 | $2.48 |
| 2024 | $2.40 |
| 2023 | $2.28 |
| 2022 | $2.16 |
Recent hikes have decelerated to roughly 1.6%, signaling management is preserving capital for pipeline investment rather than chasing aggressive raises.
Management’s Tone Is Confident
CEO Christopher Boerner told investors on the Q4 2025 call that BMY has “a strengthened balance sheet that provides the strategic flexibility to continue investing in growth drivers” and pointed to “industry-leading, sustainable growth into the 2030s and beyond”. That is the language of a team prioritizing the dividend.
Verdict: Safe, With Slower Growth Ahead
Dividend Safety Rating: Safe. A ~41% earnings payout ratio, inelastic demand for oncology and immunology treatments, and 2026 EPS guidance that covers the payout more than twice over leave a real margin of safety. The dividend looks well-supported if the Growth Portfolio keeps expanding double-digits and pivotal readouts like the ADEPT trial and iberdomide’s August 17, 2026 PDUFA land favorably. The risk picture darkens if legacy erosion overshoots the guided 12-16% decline and debt paydown slows. The dividend is safe; future raises will likely stay modest.
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks