Market Sell-Off 2022: 3 Ultra-Safe Dividend Stocks to Buy Now
The euphoria that helped the S&P 500
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Clorox (NYSE: CLX), and Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) are three rock-solid dividend stocks to consider if you're concerned with further market volatility. Here's what makes each a great buy now.
1. Procter & Gamble: A Dividend King that's built to last
Procter & Gamble has recession resilience, inflation resistance, strong brands, pricing power, and industry leadership. P&G has long been seen as a defensive investment option for situations when capital preservation, value, and income are more important than growth.
For example, the S&P 500 fell 57% between its 2007 peak on Oct. 9 and the 2009 low on March 9. P&G stock fell 38% over this time frame -- still bad, but a lot less so than the market.
What's more, P&G has been one of the few
P&G just reported second-quarter results for its 2022 fiscal year, and it showed consistent organic growth, strong margins, and high cash flow generation even in the face of higher costs due to inflation. With 65 consecutive years of dividend raises and a 2.1% yield, P&G is a dividend stock you can count on today.
2. Clorox: A Dividend Aristocrat that's down on its luck
Clorox may not have the market-beating track record of P&G. But it is a
Similar to P&G, Clorox has a portfolio of brands that do well throughout market cycles. Since taking the helm as Clorox's CEO in September 2020, Linda Rendle has implemented a campaign focused on higher spending to lean into a shift in consumer behavior toward cleanliness and hygiene.
What's gotten the company into trouble as of late is its higher advertising spending coupled with supply-chain challenges and higher costs due to inflation. Unfortunately, these factors have taken a sizable toll on Clorox's top and bottom line as well as its free cash flow.
With Clorox having coming off
3. Kinder Morgan: A solid natural gas investment
The oil and gas industry isn't typically synonymous with "ultra-safe dividend." But natural gas pipeline giant Kinder Morgan is in a league of its own. Quarter after quarter, the company makes it abundantly clear that preserving a
Gone are the days of the
Kinder Morgan operates the
Kinder Morgan has already released full-year 2022 guidance. It's raising its dividend to $1.11 per share annually and expects to generate $1.09 in earnings per share as well as $2.07 in distributable cash flow per share -- all the while keeping a healthy amount of debt on its balance sheet. At a forward dividend yield of 6.4%,
A defensive basket built for more market turbulence
Investing equally in P&G, Clorox, and Kinder Morgan would give you an average dividend yield of 3.7% while exposing your portfolio to industry-leading businesses with strong free cash flow to support their dividends. Though this basket would likely underperform the broader market during times of high growth, it's ideally situated for the rising interest rate and high-inflation environment we are currently experiencing.
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