The big news lately on Wall Street has been the recent rally that put the S&P 500 roughly flat on the year after significant declines in March and April. Specifically, the S&P 500 is up about 9% in the past month.
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That said, many investors are still gun shy after the volatility experienced since Election Day and are more interested in staying safe right now than making big moves for short-term gains. And given the pace of change in White House policies, which in large part sparked those recent declines, the lingering uncertainty is perhaps to be expected.
There are some companies that have what it takes to hang tough regardless of the latest headlines out of Washington. The following large-cap stocks all have market values of $10 billion or more and generous dividends of at least 2% based on current payouts. Neither scale nor a sizable dividend make any of these a sure thing, but they are indicators of companies that have significant scale and profitability to fall back on if things stay rocky:
| Stock | Market Value | Forward Dividend Yield* |
| AT&T Inc. (ticker: T) | $195 billion | 4.2% |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | $304 billion | 2.9% |
| Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) | $36 billion | 3.4% |
| Dollar General Corp. (DG) | $20 billion | 2.7% |
| Healthpeak Properties Inc. (DOC) | $12 billion | 7.1% |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | $357 billion | 3.5% |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) | $107 billion | 2.9% |
*As of May 14 close.
AT&T Inc. (T)
Market value: $195 billion Forward dividend yield: 4.2% Sector: Communications services
AT&T is a long-term stock with staying power, with roots that trace back to 1885. The company continues to evolve in a digital age, however, most notably via a restructuring in 2022 to streamline its operations as well as reduce its long-term debt load. That reduced its size, profits and dividend, but over the last 12 months, investors have really liked what they’ve seen as the stock has surged about 54% to more than triple the returns of the S&P 500 in the same period. What’s more, the tough operational decisions it made have set it up for the future. Considering this massive telecom is already entrenched with about 120 million wireless subscribers, AT&T is a low-risk investment opportunity.
Coca-Cola Co. (KO)
Market value: $304 billion Forward dividend yield: 2.9% Sector: Consumer staples
Consumer staples stocks are some of the best safe-haven stocks because they aren’t prone to the ups and downs of discretionary companies when family budgets tighten up. And while you may think of sugary soft drinks as “nice to have” and not “must have” items, many consumers would disagree. And besides, the beverage giant also offers seltzers and mineral water, Gatorade, Minute Maid juices and much more than just its fizzy namesake. With more than 130 years of operating history and operations in 200 nations around the world, Coke has unrivaled scale and brand power. Shares are up 10% in an otherwise tough year for stocks to prove it can hang tough, and with more than 60 years of annual dividend increases, the company has a reputation as a leading dividend growth stock.
Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED)
Market value: $36 billion Forward dividend yield: 3.4% Sector: Utilities
Utility companies have been great stocks to buy in 2025 for several reasons, including the durable nature of electricity demand as well as the near-monopolistic operations of firms that make it hard for competition to disrupt their steady businesses. ConEd has risen by double digits this year as a result, thanks to its entrenched operations with about 3.6 million electricity customers in the New York City area and natural gas operations that serve 1.1 million more. This vibrant urban area has strong and stable energy demand, which has allowed ED to record 46 consecutive years of dividend increases as a result.
Dollar General Corp. (DG)
Market value: $20 billion Forward dividend yield: 2.7% Sector: Consumer staples
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 to low-risk investors, with a generous dividend on top of that.
Healthpeak Properties Inc. (DOC)
Market value: $12 billion Forward dividend yield: 7.1% Sector: Utilities
DOC operates one of the largest networks of health care real estate in the nation after a massive merger with Physicians Realty Trust that closed at the beginning of 2024. Structured as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, Healthpeak must deliver 90% of taxable income back to shareholders — providing a mandate for big dividends. The company, like all real estate firms, is sensitive to interest rates as this is a large driver of financial performance, thanks to the impact of borrowing costs. A higher interest rate environment coupled with general market concerns have weighed on DOC stock lately as a result. But with changing demographics creating more older Americans and an increased need for care, it’s hard to imagine a world where Healthpeak doesn’t have a reliable income stream in the years ahead.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Market value: $357 billion Forward dividend yield: 3.5% Sector: Industrials
J&J is a health care icon that was founded in 1886 and remains one of the most dominant U.S. health care stocks. Specifically, it is one of the 25 largest U.S. corporations despite its recent spinoff of consumer health operations to focus the organization on its higher-margin devices and prescription drugs. It’s also one of just two companies with a tip-top AAA credit rating (tech giant Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is the other), proving it has access to capital if things do get rocky. This blue chip dividend stock has a jaw-dropping track record of 63 consecutive years of dividend growth, proving its staying power and a long-term commitment to sharing profits with shareholders.
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)
Market value: $107 billion Forward dividend yield: 2.9% Sector: Industrials
When it comes to reliability, Lockheed stands out for more reasons that one. The stock is one of the world’s long-term leaders in the defense sector thanks to past innovations such as the F-35 Lightning, the F-117 stealth fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and other impressive war machines. And from an investment perspective, this stock has a strong record of dividends with a generous $3.30 quarterly payout that is double what it was a decade ago. Lockheed has the relationships and expertise that matter in Washington, and draft budgets we’ve seen so far in 2025 avoid cuts to the Department of Defense even as other agencies face the axe. With persistent geopolitical unrest in the world along with Lockheed’s strong brand and corporate history, this aerospace giant seems like a safe bet right now.
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Update 05/15/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
