Bear Market Rally Might Be Over: 7 Very Safe Dividend Aristocrats to Buy Right Now

McDonald’s

The legacy fast-food heavyweight is a solid pick when the economy goes south, and it is among the safest large-cap restaurant plays. McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) operates and franchises McDonald’s restaurants in the United States and internationally.

The company’s restaurants offer hamburgers and cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches and nuggets, wraps, fries, salads, oatmeal, shakes, desserts, sundaes, soft serve cones, bakery items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages, as well as a breakfast menu, including biscuit and bagel sandwiches, breakfast burritos, hotcakes and other sandwiches. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 40,031 restaurants.

Shareholders receive a 2.12% dividend. McDonald’s stock has a Wall Street leading $300 target price at BMO Capital Markets. The consensus target is $281.42, and Thursday’s close was reported at $262.56.

Procter & Gamble

The company offers a very solid dividend as well as a host of recognizable products. Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) is one of the world’s largest consumer products companies. Its many brands include Pampers, Tide, Bounty, Charmin, Gillette, Oral B, Crest, Olay, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Ariel, Gain, Always, Tampax, Downy and Dawn.

The company sells its products through mass merchandisers, e-commerce, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, department stores, distributors, wholesalers, baby stores, specialty beauty stores, high-frequency stores and pharmacies. The company has been very innovative in its product development process and uses that to help ensure future growth and cash flow. This should provide investors years of steady growth and dividends.

The dividend yield is 2.45%. The Truist Financial price objective is $160. The consensus target is $156.29. Procter & Gamble stock closed at $145.70 on Thursday.

These seven stocks have reasonable upside to the Wall Street targets, and they all come with very dependable dividends, given their Dividend Aristocrat status. With even moderate appreciation in their share prices, investors should be looking at double-digit total return potential. In a market that is very volatile and could be headed much lower if the recession worsens, these safe stocks make a ton of sense now.

Originally posted at 24/7 Wall St.

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