Gilead Sciences (GILD) will start paying a quarterly dividend of $0.43 per share later this year. Earlier smaller rival Amgen also initiated a dividend.

The first dividend is payable on June 29, 2015, to shareholders of record as of June 16, 2015. The ex-dividend date is June 12, 2015. With a current market cap of $146 billion Gilead is the biggest biotech company worldwide.

The annual dividend of $1.72 per share translates into an indicated dividend yield of 1.8% based on a stock price of $97.40.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines. The company's principal areas of focus include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), liver diseases (hepatitis C and hepatitis B), cardiovascular, hematology/oncology and inflammation/respiratory. Gilead became a public company in 1992.