Investors have increasingly been looking for safety on Wall Street amid volatility in everything from stocks to bonds to cryptocurrencies. And while there’s no such thing as a guaranteed return in any asset, there are ways for investors to reduce the risk profile of their portfolio by focusing on the best safe stocks to buy now.
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These companies are large with reliable revenue streams and specialized operations that can weather even severe short-term disruptions that often sink smaller businesses in less stable industries. The following seven stocks are all valued at more than $15 billion in market value and have outperformed year to date, proving they can hang tough even when the market melts down.
| Stock | Market capitalization | Sector |
| Altria Group Inc. (ticker: MO) | $97 billion | Consumer staples |
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B, BRK.A) | $1.1 trillion | Financials |
| Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) | $60 billion | Energy |
| NextEra Energy Inc. (NEE) | $138 billion | Utilities |
| Quest Diagnostics Inc. (DGX) | $18 billion | Health care |
| Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) | $190 billion | Communication services |
| Waste Management Inc. (WM) | $93 billion | Industrials |
Altria Group Inc. (MO)
Market value: $97 billion Sector: Consumer staples
Altria is a familiar name on any list of low-risk stocks, and that’s for many good reasons. There’s its powerful brand portfolio, including Marlboro cigarettes and Skoal smokeless tobacco. There’s also a long history of tremendous operational success even in the face of health concerns and litigation. Then there’s Altria’s tremendous dividend yield that is roughly five times that of the S&P 500, and more than 56 years of consecutive dividend increases to show that payouts will keep growing over time. Throw in the fact that shares are up more than 10% year to date even while the rest of the market has tumbled, and there’s good reason to believe this is a safe stock with staying power.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B, BRK.A)
Market value: $1.1 trillion Sector: Financials
Berkshire has been making headlines lately, but not for the typical reasons like shrewd deals or folksy wisdom from its guru Warren Buffett. Instead, this Wall Street icon has stockpiled a jaw-dropping $334 billion in cash. It’s not just that big bank account that makes this stock have staying power, but the discipline that it illustrates. In its latest shareholder letter, the company stressed that Berkshire will never prefer ownership of cash-equivalent assets over the ownership of good businesses. But clearly the right opportunities haven’t presented themselves in a frothy market over the last few years. And when you consider that Berkshire made a ton of money during the 2008 financial crisis thanks to well-timed investments that paid off, there’s a good chance that Berkshire makes the most of the current volatility.
[Read: 5 Best S&P 500 Index Funds to Buy Now]
Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI)
Market value: $60 billion Sector: Energy
Energy companies are risky these days thanks to falling oil prices and the disruptive power of Trump administration tariffs. But Kinder Morgan stands apart thanks to its unique midstream model that insulates it from commodity price volatility. KMI operates roughly 83,000 miles of pipelines and 140 natural gas terminals across the U.S., making its money on the necessary elements of transportation and storage between producers and end-users. This is a steady business, and thanks to a 2023 deal that added more than $1.8 billion of additional pipeline assets through a big-time acquisition, KMI has the scale and long-term staying power that makes it one of the best safe stocks to buy now.
NextEra Energy Inc. (NEE)
Market value: $138 billion Sector: Utilities
A go-to sector for stability, utilities are among the best safe stocks to buy because electricity sees constant demand and its production is highly regulated thanks to the necessity of power for consumers, businesses and government. And as the largest publicly traded utility on Wall Street, NextEra is a dominant part of the nation’s electricity infrastructure. Its steady operations lead to steady revenue and profit, which leads to a steady dividend north of 3% and share prices that tend to remain rock solid in any market environment.
Quest Diagnostics Inc. (DGX)
Market value: $18 billion Sector: Health care
Quest Diagnostics provides a range of testing services for family physicians, hospitals and other health care providers. These run-of-the-mill screenings aren’t as sexy as developing the next generation of breakthrough drugs, but they do offer a more consistent revenue stream that investors can bank on. That makes Quest a great low-risk health care stock right now — as illustrated by its 10% gains in 2025 despite market volatility for most other stocks. DGX is soundly profitable and plotting nearly double-digit revenue growth this year, with an early 2025 earnings report that easily topped targets and resulted in upgraded forward guidance. Those are all strong signs that DGX has what it takes to hang tough in any market.
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ)
Market value: $190 billion Sector: Communication services
As the largest U.S. carrier by market share with more than 37% of wireless subscriptions and about 149 million customers, Verizon is a vital part of the telecom sector. And with its massive dividend yield that’s over 6% annually, it is a vital part of almost any dividend investor’s portfolio, too. VZ stock is a quintessential low-risk investment that is not reliant on cyclical consumer spending and has a wide moat against competition. Sure, the U.S. market is pretty much saturated and significant growth isn’t likely for Verizon. But for those looking for safety, this stock is worth a look.
Waste Management Inc. (WM)
Market value: $93 billion Sector: Industrials
Waste Management is the largest trash company in the U.S. as measured by revenue. This recession-proof business and unrivalled scale makes it one of the best safe stocks to buy now. And right now, it’s attracting big investor interest after executives announced a generous 10% dividend increase at the end of 2024 on the heels of strong earnings. Looking forward, the massive acquisition of Stericycle for $7.2 billion last year will provide even more stability to performance in this market leader that keeps proving one man’s trash can indeed be another’s treasure.
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7 Best Safe Stocks to Buy Now originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/17/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
