National HealthCare Corporation
NHC21 yrs growthHealthcare · Stock · quarterly payer
$188.02
Add to PortfolioForward Yield
1.38%
Annual Dividend
$2.59
Payout Ratio
33%
5-Yr Growth
4.2%
Ex-Date
Jun 30, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
NHC Dividend Safety Score
87/ 100
Grade A
Very Safe
Dividend-growth streak21 consecutive years of growth
Cut historyCut its dividend in 2004
Earnings payout coverage33% of earnings paid out
Free-cash-flow coverage34% of free cash flow
Balance-sheet strengthDebt/equity of 3.58
Yield vs its historyYield in line with its history
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Is NHC a good dividend stock?
YesNational HealthCare Corporation (NHC) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 1.38% ($2.59/yr), with 21 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of A. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- 21 consecutive years of dividend growth
- Comfortable payout ratio (33%)
- 169% total price return over 5 years
- Top-tier dividend safety score
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2004
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 1.38%
- Payout Ratio
- 33%
- Annual Dividend
- $2.59
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 4.2%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Jun 30, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 21
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.67
- Market Cap
- $2.9B
- P/E Ratio
- 23.9
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 169%
- 52-Week Range
- $93.54 – $205.06
- Dividend Safety
- A · 87/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2004)
Frequently Asked Questions
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2026 | — | $0.6400 | regular |
| Dec 31, 2025 | — | $0.6400 | regular |
| Sep 30, 2025 | — | $0.6400 | regular |
| Jun 30, 2025 | — | $0.6400 | regular |
| Mar 28, 2025 | — | $0.6100 | regular |
| Dec 30, 2024 | — | $0.6100 | regular |
| Sep 30, 2024 | — | $0.6100 | regular |
| Jun 28, 2024 | — | $0.6100 | regular |
| Mar 27, 2024 | — | $0.5900 | regular |
| Dec 28, 2023 | — | $0.5900 | regular |
| Sep 28, 2023 | — | $0.5900 | regular |
| Jun 29, 2023 | — | $0.5900 | regular |
| Mar 30, 2023 | — | $0.5700 | regular |
| Dec 29, 2022 | — | $0.5700 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $2.59 / yr per share
Per payment (quarterly)$64.75
Annual$259.00
Monthly avg$21.58
