If you're looking for some good dividend stocks to own in retirement, one thing you'll want to focus on is stability. Striking a balance between safety and dividend income can be key to ensuring you protect your savings while also making the most of them. And by investing in blue chip stocks with above-average yields, you can get the best of both worlds.
Three stocks that can provide you with some good diversification and dividend income are Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) , Home Depot (NYSE: HD) , and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) . Here's why they can be ideal options for retirees.
Abbott Laboratories
Abbott has an excellent track record on dividends. It's a Dividend King , which means it has increased its dividend payments annually for 50-plus years. And with the stock already paying investors an above-average yield of 2.2% (the S&P 500 average is 1.3%), there's room for retirees to generate some solid dividend income in the long term.
What's also appealing about this stock for retirees is that its operations are diverse. In its most recent quarterly results (for the period ended in June), the healthcare company generated $10.4 billion in sales, with $4.7 billion coming from medical devices, followed by nutrition and diagnostics, with each contributing around $2.2 billion, and established pharmaceuticals adding $1.3 billion. This diversity makes Abbott a fairly stable stock, with many different growth avenues.
That stability is also evident in the stock's low beta of around 0.7, which indicates it moves at a more relaxed pace than the general markets. For a good dividend stock to rely on for the foreseeable future, Abbott Labs could make an ideal option to hang on to here.
Home Depot
Another solid dividend stock for retirees is Home Depot. The home improvement retailer is a go-to option for consumers for any type of repair around the house.
And while customers have been scaling back on expenditures amid rising inflation in recent years, these aren't the types of expenditures that can be put off for long, which is why investors shouldn't be overly concerned with Home Depot's lack of growth; this fiscal year (which ends in January), the company forecasts just modest 1% growth in its top line.
Its great dividend yields 2.5% right now. The company has been making a regular payout for 149 straight quarters, and earlier this year, it increased it by 7.7%.
Shares of Home Depot are up around 5% this year, which is well below the S&P 500's gains of 16%. But as interest rates come down and discretionary spending starts to rise, the stock could quickly become a hot buy again. For retirees, now could be an optimal time to load up on what's still a strong business.
JPMorgan Chase
Rounding out this list of safe dividend stocks is arguably one of the safest bank stocks, JPMorgan Chase. Smaller regional banks could come under pressure in a recession, but a top bank such as JPMorgan is in good shape to weather any storm.
The company recently reported its second-quarter earnings that beat analyst expectations. Revenue of just under $51 billion for the period ended June 30 was up an impressive 20% year over year, with the bank benefiting from an increase in investment banking fees.
The stock has a dividend yield of 2.2%, and with a payout ratio of only 25%, the company's financial situation looks strong. The Federal Reserve's stress tests show that banks are in a sound position, and JPMorgan's board plans to bump up the current quarterly dividend from $1.15 per share to $1.25.
The economy will undoubtedly play a role in how JPMorgan Chase stock performs, but with a modest payout ratio and strong earnings numbers, it's hard not to like it if you're a retiree, given the potential for growing dividend income.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Abbott Laboratories, Home Depot, and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .
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