Dividend Stalwarts Verizon (VZ), Coca-Cola (KO) and McDonalds(MCD) Are Stock Market Winners Today

One of the best ways to protect your portfolio, and generate income is with stable, dividend-paying giants, such as Verizon (NYSE:VZ), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD).

Key Points About This Article 

• With a yield of about 6%, Verizon has been in a steady uptrend since the year began
• With all of the market chaos, investors have pulled money from riskier names and put it to use in safer, yielding stocks like Coca-Cola.
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Verizon 

With a yield of about 6%, Verizon has been in a steady uptrend since the year began.

Despite all of the chaos, the stock rallied from a low of about $37.50 to a recent high of $45.27. From here, we’d like to see it initially retest $47.35. Helping, analysts at RBC Capital just raised their price target on VZ to $45 with a sector perform rating. We also have to consider that Verizon hasn’t been impacted by tariff fears.

Analysts don’t expect for tariffs to put much of a debt in the company’s bottom line either. Plus, in times of chaos, investors tend to like Verizon because it’s a reliable dividend payer. The company will pay its next dividend of $0.6775 on May 1 to shareholders of record as of April 10.

Earnings haven’t been too shabby either. In its fourth quarter, the company posted EPS of $1.10, which was in line. Revenue of $35.7 billion, up 1.7% year over year, beat by $360 million.

Coca-Cola 

With a yield of 2.84%, Coca-Cola has been another strong, dividend-paying safe haven.

It’s also been a high-flier since the year began, rallying from a low of about $60 to a recent high of $71.74. That’s because, with all of the market chaos, investors have pulled money from riskier names and put it to use in safer, yielding stocks like KO. Plus, the company just declared its 63rd consecutive quarterly dividend of 52 cents. That has now been increased every year since 1962.

Earnings have been strong, too.

In its most recent quarter, its EPS of 55 cents beat by three cents. Revenue of $11.5 billion, up 6.5% year over year, beat by $800 million. Also, for the full year, its cash flow from operations and free cash flow were $6.8 billion and $4.7 billion, respectively.

McDonald’s 

With a yield of 2.28%, McDonald’s (MCD) has been another high-flier, running from a low of $275 to a recent high of $310.51. It’s another reliable dividend payer, recently paying out a quarterly dividend of $1.77 per share on March 17.

Earnings were okay. EPS of $2.83 did miss by three cents. Revenue of $6.39 billion, down 0.3% year over year, missed by $90 million. However, the company did manage to beat comparable sales in the fourth quarter, which absorbed the top and bottom line misses. Global comparable sales, for example, were up 0.4% year over year, which was better than the -0.93% expected.

Analysts at KeyBanc also raised their price target on MCD to $340 with an overweight rating, citing positive expectations for its next quarter.

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