For nearly 100 years on Wall Street, the term “blue chip” has been synonymous with quality. The phrase originated in casinos and gambling houses of the time where the blue poker chips had the highest value. Today the phrase “blue-chip stocks” refers to stocks of the oldest, most well-established and financially sound companies on the market.
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Blue-chip stocks are a favorite of more conservative equity investors who understand the value and opportunity of stocks but prefer mature companies that have stood the test of time. Blue chips are stocks that have proven their resilience and reliability over many years, through many market cycles and in every economic environment. Blue chips often have powerful, well-known brands and a generationally loyal customer base.
Because of the maturity and financial stability, many blue-chip stocks pay regular dividend income to shareholders. Paying a dividend is a tangible way for a company to share its earnings with investors. Regular dividends are distributed on a predetermined schedule — usually quarterly — and are generally paid whether the market or the stock is up or down. In this way, dividends smooth out stock market volatility and cushion the effect of downturns or bear markets.
For all these reasons, buying dividend-paying blue-chip stocks can be a smart and profitable investment strategy. Blue-chip dividend stocks can be less volatile during market turmoil and the income they pay can be used to defray current expenses, save for the future or reinvest back into the market.
It’s rarely a bad idea to increase the overall quality of a portfolio by buying blue-chip stocks. Plus, who can argue with ongoing dividend income? Investors who see the value and total return potential in blue-chip dividends will want to carefully review this list.
No one can predict how a stock will perform in the future, but these five stocks have a long history of providing superior growth and dependable income for the long run:
| Blue-Chip Stock | Forward Dividend Yield* |
| Morgan Stanley (ticker: MS) | 2.8% |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | 3.1% |
| Walmart Inc. (WMT) | 1.0% |
| Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) | 3.6% |
| General Dynamics Corp. (GD) | 2.1% |
*As of Jan. 16. close.
Morgan Stanley (MS)
Morgan Stanley was founded by Henry S. Morgan — the grandson and successor of legendary financier J.P. Morgan — and his partner Harold Stanley more than 100 years ago. Shares of the company have been publicly traded since 1986. This company’s storied history and stellar financial performance over all those years qualify MS for blue-chip status.
Morgan Stanley is one of the most powerful investment banks and brokerage firms in the world. Its Wealth Management and Investment Management divisions provide advisory, brokerage and asset management services to institutions and wealthy individuals. The company’s Institutional Securities division underwrites equity, debt and derivative securities for governments and large institutions.
MS has paid a dividend every quarter since it went public 39 years ago. This $218 billion stock has a forward annual dividend of $3.70 a share. The current yield is 2.8%.
BofA Securities has had a “buy” recommendation on the stock for more than a year, most recently reiterating that recommendation in a research report published on Jan. 7.
Coca-Cola Co. (KO)
KO is universally considered a blue-chip stock. The company is 139 years old and is the most successful non-alcoholic beverage company in the world.
Like all stocks, KO has had its ups and downs. In fact, the stock has been experiencing a period of lackluster short-term performance since October 2024. But, if history is a guide, the company’s skilled management team will pull the stock out of its current doldrums. And, in any case, the stock’s current dividend yield of 3.1% will somewhat mitigate any lack of appreciation.
Coca-Cola owns some of the most famous brands in the beverage industry, including Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Powerade, Minute Maid and several others. Wall Street is expecting $46.2 billion in revenue when KO reports its financials for 2024 and $47.8 billion — over a 3% increase — in 2025.
KO has a market cap around $270 billion. The stock boasts a current dividend yield of 3.1% and has increased its annual dividend for 63 consecutive years.
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Walmart Inc. (WMT)
Walmart is the largest retail stock by revenue. The company was founded around 80 years ago and has paid a regular quarterly dividend for 51 consecutive years. Those two facts certainly qualify WMT as a dividend-paying blue-chip stock.
WMT has three main divisions: Walmart USA, Walmart International and Sam’s Club. The company has a thriving and growing online retail business and has more than 4,600 brick-and-mortar locations in the U.S. alone.
The company operates standard-sized department stores, large-scale supercenter outlets, small Walmart Neighborhood Markets and a large network of Sam’s Club warehouse stores. Sam’s Club operates on a membership business model that competes with Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) in many major markets.
The market cap of WMT is around $740 billion. The annual forward dividend is currently 83 cents a share, which equates to a 1% dividend yield. Investors can reasonably expect that payout to increase over time, as WMT has a 50-year history of raising its quarterly dividend.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)
XOM is a blue-chip stock that is also a constituent member of the Dividend Aristocrats Index. A “dividend aristocrat” is a stock that has raised its annual dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.
The business boasts a market cap around $490 billion. That makes this company one of the largest publicly traded energy stocks on the market. The company was formed when Mobil Oil Corp. merged with Exxon Corp.
Exxon produces and distributes a large array of refined oil products, natural gas derivatives and petroleum-based chemicals and lubricants. In recent decades, the company has made substantial inroads into the renewable and sustainable energy industries.
XOM has increased its dividend for 43 consecutive years. That annual dividend currently stands at $3.96, making for a 3.6% dividend yield at current levels.
Piper Sandler and JPMorgan maintain an “overweight” rating on the stock, and the research arm of UBS rates the stock a “buy.”
General Dynamics Corp. (GD)
General Dynamics operates in the aerospace and defense segment of the industrial sector. The company was founded in 1899 and its market capitalization is nearly $75 billion. The U.S. and its NATO allies greatly depend on General Dynamics for advanced nuclear submarines, fighter aircraft and armored fighting vehicles.
GD serves the private sector as well. It manufactures private jets, including the Gulfstream line, which is very popular with corporations and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
The company has yet to report full-year 2024 earnings, but Wall Street is looking for $13.65 in earnings per share for the year. In 2025, the consensus is about 17% higher at $15.94 a share.
As for revenue, Wall Street expects $47.36 billion in revenue for 2024 and $50.3 billion in 2025, which works out to just over 6% revenue growth.
The stock has a dividend yield of 2.1%.
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5 Best Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks to Buy originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/17/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
