In April, the wild swings in policy positions from the White House resulted in similarly wild swings for the stock market. On one hand, investors hate uncertainty and the continually moving targets on key issues like tariffs hint that more trouble could be ahead. But on the other hand, walking back prior positions in even mildly positive ways sparked some massive rebounds in the S&P 500 lately, so there’s a chance that Wall Street could push back to prior highs fairly quickly.
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Some investors are looking to swing trade the current volatility, but that’s a risky game. Instead, it may be safer to depend on the long-term performance of stable dividend stocks rather than trying to time the market or guess what policies President Trump will be rolling out next.
The following large-cap companies are valued at at least $25 billion and provide a dividend yield of 2% or greater:
| Stock | Sector | Market Value | Forward Dividend Yield as of April 30 close |
| Ambev SA (ticker: ABEV) | Consumer staples | $40 billion | 5.2% |
| American Tower Corp. (AMT) | Real estate | $105 billion | 3% |
| AT&T Inc. (T) | Communication services | $200 billion | 4% |
| Banco Santander SA (SAN) | Financials | $105 billion | 3.3% |
| Barrick Gold Corp. (GOLD) | Materials | $32 billion | 2.1% |
| CME Group Inc. (CME) | Financials | $100 billion | 3.9% |
| Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) | Utilities | $41 billion | 3% |
| Dollar General Corp. (DG) | Consumer staples | $20 billion | 2.5% |
| Enbridge Inc. (ENB) | Energy | $102 billion | 5.8% |
| Fastenal Co. (FAST) | Industrials | $46 billion | 2.2% |
| Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) | Health care | $130 billion | 3% |
| McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) | Consumer discretionary | $228 billion | 2.2% |
| Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) | Materials | $28 billion | 3.8% |
| RTX Corp. (RTX) | Consumer staples | $170 billion | 2% |
| Williams Cos. Inc. (WMB) | Energy | $73 billion | 3.4% |
Ambev SA (ABEV)
Sector: Consumer staples Dividend: 5.2% Market value: $40 billion
Brazil’s Ambev is a unique play on the growth of the consumer class across Latin America. A specialty beverage company, ABEV produces and distributes beer under the Budweiser, Modelo, Michelob, Labatt and Stella Artois brands, among many others. It also produces non-alcoholic drinks ranging from Gatorade to Lipton iced teas to Pepsi-Cola products and Red Bull energy drinks. Founded back in 1885, this company is effectively the “boots on the ground” for many established U.S. brands that are looking to cash in on middle-class spending in Latin America. It’s uniquely insulated to the pressures facing global brands like Coca-Cola Co. (KO) as a result, and is also more in-tune with local growth trends. Strong operations have translated to strong dividends, too, with a current yield that is almost four times the average among S&P 500 components right now.
American Tower Corp. (AMT)
Sector: Real estate Dividend: 3% Market value: $105 billion
American Tower is a specialist in multitenant communications real estate, which includes telecom towers, fiber-optic networks, data centers and other important infrastructure components that power our digital lives. With a portfolio of 148,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities, AMT operates an incredibly reliable business thanks to both its reach as well as the ever-increasing demand for data. The company’s generous $1.70 quarterly dividend has quadrupled from just 42 cents per quarter to start 2015, proving its long-term commitment to dividend growth. And since AMT is structured as a real estate investment trust (REIT) and must deliver 90% of taxable income back to shareholders, it has a clear mandate to continue its practice of generous dividends in the years ahead.
AT&T Inc. (T)
Sector: Communication services Dividend: 4% Market value: $200 billion
One of the bluest of the blue-chip stocks on Wall Street, AT&T has operated since 1882. And as investors have gravitated towards established, low-risk stocks, AT&T has surged more than 20% this year. The company has a strong history of providing income potential to shareholders, though admittedly that dividend has been stuck at 27.75 cents per quarter since a 2022 spinoff of media assets and a related reorganization. However, the firm has been beating down its debt load steadily, finishing 2024 with just over $120 billion in total debt compared with $170 billion in 2021 before its restructuring. With an entrenched telecom business and the necessity of wireless access in a digital age, AT&T is an incredibly reliable dividend stock. And with current payouts at about half of earnings, there’s a good chance the pause in dividend increases could end in the near future if things continue to go well.
Banco Santander SA (SAN)
Sector: Financials Dividend: 3.3% Market value: $105 billion
Many investors hadn’t heard of Madrid-based bank Santander before this year. But with a generous yield and a standout performance of more than 60% gains since Jan. 1, many have started to take notice. The company provides financial services worldwide, ranging from retail banking to wealth management and corporate financial services. Founded in 1856, it is the preeminent bank in Spain and remains a go-to financial provider across the Spanish-speaking world with more than 3,000 branches across South America. The stock has benefitted from the general outperformance of European stocks so far in 2025, and its close relationships with customers in key markets makes it a reliable dividend payer, too. The stock is larger than Capital One Financial Corp. (COF) and just a hair smaller than Citigroup Inc. (C), which makes it a giant of the global financial industry and thus a bit more stable than smaller regional banks.
Barrick Gold Corp. (GOLD)
Sector: Materials Dividend: 2.1% Market value: $32 billion
Whenever inflation is a concern for investors, it can help to add some hard assets or raw materials to your portfolio. Barrick Gold is one of the largest dedicated gold miners in the world, and provides just this kind of exposure — with a dividend of more than 2% to boot. Headquartered in Toronto, Barrick has ownership interests in gold and copper mines with 270 million metric tonnes of proven gold reserves. With gold prices currently at more than $3,200 per ounce, there is a tremendous store of value in Barrick stock right now. And as the company continues to bring those reserves to market, it is consistently sharing the wealth with investors. The fact that shares are up more than 20% this year thanks to the uptrend in commodity prices is a nice fact, too!
CME Group Inc. (CME)
Sector: Financials Dividend: 3.9% Market value: $100 billion
Founded in 1898, CME is one of the world’s largest exchanges for futures and options contracts. These derivatives are generally in demand for risk management across the global economy, but become even more popular on Wall Street during times of change and uncertainty — two things that seem to be the order of the day in 2025. In particular, its Treasury and interest-rate products are driving record volume on the exchange as Wall Street places a premium on hedging activity in uncertain times like these. CME has seen shares rise about 15% so far in 2025, and with a $3 billion share repurchase approved at the end of 2024, should continue to see momentum in the months ahead.
Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED)
Sector: Utilities Dividend: 3% Market value: $41 billion
The top-performing domestic large-cap utility stock in 2025, ConEd has put up more than 25% gains since Jan. 1 even as the rest of the stock market has stumbled. This is thanks to the generally low-risk appeal of utility stocks, coupled with the incredibly stable operations of this New York City-area electricity provider; ConEd distributes electricity to about 3.5 million customers in the region and natural gas to 1.1 million more. What really makes ED worth a look from dividend-conscious investors right now, however, is its enviable track record of more than 50 consecutive years of dividend increases. That consistency in driving shareholder value should give investors confidence ConEd can hang tough in any environment.
Dollar General Corp. (DG)
Sector: Consumer staples Dividend: 2.5% Market value: $20 billion
Dollar General is one of the largest U.S. discount retailers, operating more than 20,000 stores. Most of the company’s stores are located in small towns, strip malls and locales that are not served by larger big-box retailers. With a budget-conscious approach to retail that aims to help shoppers make their cash stretch a bit farther, DG is a great counter-cyclical investment because it actually sees increased demand when times get tough and households look for better deals. DG stock is up more than 20% since Jan. 1 as a result of this appeal, with a generous dividend on top of that.
Enbridge Inc. (ENB)
Sector: Energy Dividend: 5.8% Market value: $102 billion
Believe it or not, there are only four S&P 500 components that are in the energy sector and also up more than 1% so far in 2025. That’s to be expected as commodity market volatility has prompted uncertainty, and any potential increase in energy prices thanks to trade wars is also likely to curtail general business activity and energy demand. However, Canada’s Enbridge stands tall with nearly 10% gains thanks to its status as one of the largest and most stable “midstream” energy companies out there. This infrastructure company isn’t an explorer drilling for crude, but rather operates pipelines, terminals and storage facilities. This business model makes the company less volatile than energy exploration-and-production firms, or the various other energy stocks that are sensitive to market prices for petroleum products. In recent years, ENB has tightened its grip through acquisitions of firms such as Spectra Energy, and has only widened its moat to provide greater long-term stability for shares (and dividends).
Fastenal Co. (FAST)
Sector: Industrials Dividend: 2.2% Market value: $46 billion
Industrial stocks are generally facing a hard road ahead as uncertainty with supply chains and tariffs continues to weigh on their outlook. But Fastenal is a uniquely positioned company thanks to its preeminent role in providing replacement parts, fasteners and other critical maintenance equipment. When it becomes more expensive or less feasible to purchase new equipment, facilities become more reliant than ever on keeping their old gear running. That has resulted in strong demand for FAST products, driving consistent revenue — and double-digit performance since Jan. 1.
[Read: 7 Up-and-Coming Stocks to Buy Now]
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD)
Sector: Health care Dividend: 3% Market value: $130 billion
Health care stocks can be surefire investments regardless of what short-term trends are in favor on Wall Street. After all, just about the only certainty in life is that anyone lucky enough to live into their later years will assuredly need medical care — and with demographics shifting towards older populations both at home and abroad, that’s a tremendous customer base for firms like Gilead. The drugmaker has a strong product pipeline and high-margin treatments for otherwise unserved patient populations, including treatments for HIV/AIDS and unique forms of cancer. GILD has outperformed in 2025, with the stock up about 15% year to date, and on top of that just boosted its dividend to 79 cents per share quarterly. That makes Gilead’s current payouts roughly double what they were at the start of 2015.
McDonald’s Corp. (MCD)
Sector: Consumer discretionary Dividend: 2.2% Market value: $228 billion
McDonald’s is one of the largest and most recognizable restaurant brands on the planet. In fact, it’s probably one of the most recognizable brands of any flavor — pardon the pun! It also has a reputation for affordable fare, even if some consumers may not consider it the healthiest or most glamorous restaurant option. Shares are up almost 10% since Jan. 1 thanks to its brand power and cost-conscious model that is connecting with consumers even as they cut back elsewhere. From an income perspective, the company also has a rich history of payouts with 48 years of consecutive dividend increases to show a long-term commitment to shareholder value. And with a dividend payout ratio of only about 60% of earnings, there’s a good chance that record of increases will continue in the future, too.
Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)
Sector: Materials Dividend: 3.8% Market value: $28 billion
Nutrien is an agriculture-focused material stock with 2,000 locations worldwide, from the U.S. and Canada to South America and Australia, that provide a diverse array of products including fertilizer, seeds, farming equipment and even financial solutions for farmers. Though under the radar of most investors, you’d be hard pressed to find a more reliable investment given the persistent demand for food around the world — and given the nature of global trade disruptions, the increasing prices and local demand that make it more important than ever to increase crop yields. Nutrien shares are up more than 25% since Jan. 1 thanks to its status as the world’s top producer of potash, and with little extra capacity elsewhere thanks to global trade restrictions on Russia, NTR has the potential for reliable performance in an otherwise challenging market.
RTX Corp. (RTX)
Sector: Consumer staples Dividend: 2% Market value: $170 billion
In an age of geopolitical uncertainty, it’s no surprise that aerospace and defense company RTX is in favor right now. Its leading segments include Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon — three trusted leaders when it comes to military aircraft, simulations and testing, and other similar applications. The firm also serves commercial and business jet customers, but it’s this defense pedigree that makes RTX really attractive to investors looking for a bit of certainty in an otherwise challenging environment. RTX stock is up almost 10% this year and up almost 25% in the last 12 months.
Williams Cos. Inc. (WMB)
Sector: Energy Dividend: 3.4% Market value: $73 billion
One of the few domestic energy stocks in the green since January, this midstream energy company operates more than 33,000 miles of pipelines, 29 processing facilities and about 24 million barrels of storage capacity across the U.S. This is a very reliable business model when compared with the riskier nature of drilling for new oil and gas wells. What’s more, Williams has a built-in mechanism for steady dividends as a “toll taker” that simply moves fossil fuels around the U.S. This low-risk appeal has helped WMB stock stand apart from its peers in the sector, and make it one of the best domestic energy stocks right now.
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Update 05/01/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
