On February 2, Merck (NYSE:MRK) reported fourth-quarter results that met analyst forecasts on earnings, but missed on revenue. However, the miss was only by a slight amount.
All things considered, the company performed well. Over the past year, Merck has dealt with the strong U.S. dollar, a number of difficult patent expirations, and regulatory scrutiny over drug pricing.
The health care sector is filled with strong dividend stocks. Many of Merck's peers, including Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), are Dividend Achievers, a group of companies with 10+ consecutive years of dividend increases.
