ASX 200 healthcare shares are considered a defensive play due to the dominance of the large-cap players and the reliable dividends they pay because they are relatively immune to economic headwinds.
With interest rates expected to stay higher for longer amid somewhat sticky inflation in Australia, are ASX 200 healthcare shares a wise investment for income investors looking to maximise their passive income?
Let's look at the experts' predictions on dividend yields in FY24.
Which ASX 200 healthcare share will pay the most in FY24?
In this article, we're going to focus on the six large-cap healthcare shares of the ASX 200.
Large-cap businesses are mature, well-established companies raking in reliable earnings year in, year out.
By definition, they have a market capitalisation above $10 billion.
Here are the ASX dividend consensus forecasts as published on CommSec today.
ASX dividends: What the big healthcare shares will pay in FY24
| ASX 200 healthcare share | Dividend yield | Forecast |
| Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) | 3.69% | 107 cents |
| Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH) | 1.8% | 39 cents |
| Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC) | 1.73% | 83 cents |
| CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) | 1.53% | 404 cents |
| Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) | 1.4% | 390 cents |
| ResMed CDI (ASX: RMD) | 1.18% | 29 cents |
Sonic Healthcare shares to pay the biggest dividend in FY24
My colleague Mitch reckons Sonic Healthcare is an ASX dividend stock to buy and hold forever.
Sonic has an impressive 30-year history of steadily growing its dividend payments.
Over the past five years, dividends have increased at a 5.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
Over the same period, the Sonic Healthcare share price has risen by more than 30%.
Will other ASX 200 shares pay better dividends?
The short answer is yes.
The predicted dividend yields among top ASX 200 healthcare shares are well below those in other sectors.
Check out our recent articles on FY24 dividend forecasts for the following sectors:
