There’s no such thing as a sure thing on Wall Street, but investors can find the best safe stocks to buy now by taking a look at companies that emphasize stability over short-term growth. Sure, there are a lot of sexy artificial intelligence plays and high-growth crypto firms out there, but for every stock that delivers huge gains there are many more that crash and burn.
Low-risk investors can sometimes benefit from prioritizing stability over growth. While there is always risk in the stock market, some simple qualitative checks can help ensure that the stocks in your portfolio have what it takes to deliver consistent returns over the long haul.
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The following stocks are among the best safe stocks to buy now because they operate businesses that are insulated from cyclical spending trends, they have massive scale with valuations of more than $50 billion each, and they have consistent profitability, as shown by generous dividends north of 2.5%:
| Stock | Sector | Market value | Dividend yield |
| Altria Group Inc. (ticker: MO) | Consumer staples | $113 billion | 6.0% |
| American Tower Corp. (AMT) | Real estate | $98 billion | 3.3% |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | Consumer staples | $304 billion | 2.9% |
| Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) | Health care | $144 billion | 2.7% |
| Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) | Energy | $59 billion | 4.4% |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) | Industrials | $104 billion | 3.0% |
| Southern Co. (SO) | Utilities | $104 billion | 3.1% |
Altria Group Inc. (MO)
Sector: Consumer staples Market value: $113 billion Dividend: 6.0%
Due to its problematic products, tobacco giant Altria may not seem like one of the best safe stocks to buy. But its tremendous track record of 55 years of consecutive dividend increases, along with a mammoth yield that’s more than four times that of the typical S&P 500 company, proves this is a stock with staying power. Products including Marlboro cigarettes, Black & Mild pipe and cigar products and Copenhagen smokeless tobacco provide steady revenue for the company. And while there may not be breakneck growth ahead, Altria’s management has a long history of success across any economic or political disruptions.
American Tower Corp. (AMT)
Sector: Real estate Market value: $98 billion Dividend: 3.3%
American Tower is not your typical real estate firm, operating more than 150,000 communications sites including cell towers and data centers. It happens to be structured as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, which means it must deliver 90% of taxable income back to shareholders via dividends. Its nationwide telecom portfolio is rented to customers including major wireless carriers, which provides consistent revenue thanks to its in-demand digital infrastructure. Shares are up by double digits in 2025 thanks to consistent performance, and the company’s current dividend of $1.70 per quarter is more than triple the 49 cents per quarter it paid shareholders back in 2015. That’s a great history of dividend growth that hints AMT is one of the best safe stocks for income investors.
Coca-Cola Co. (KO)
Sector: Consumer staples Market value: $304 billion Dividend: 2.9%
Consumer staples stock Coca-Cola is a go-to investment for those who want safe stocks with dividend potential. The firm boasts 130 years of operating history, more than 63 years of consecutive dividend increases, and its dominant position in grocery store aisles and consumer cupboards makes it a company that can be relied on — regardless of the ups and downs for the market in general. The Atlanta-based beverage company obviously owns Coke products, but also owns brands including Vitaminwater, Fuze teas, Powerade energy drinks, Minute Maid juices and many more items that appeal to more health-conscious consumers. Throw in the fact that Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A, BRK.B) remains one of Coke’s largest shareholders, and there’s also the benefit of big institutional pressure to keep shares steady and dividends flowing for many years to come.
[Read: 10 of the Best REITs to Buy for 2025]
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD)
Sector: Health care Market value: $144 billion Dividend: 2.7%
Health care is a recession-proof sector that investors can bank on, given that people will cut back on many other expenses before they shortchange their health. And Gilead is one of the top three best-performing health care stocks in the S&P 500 over the last 12 months, with a total return of 64% that dwarfs the performance of other pharmaceutical firms. The success of GILD stock is thanks to its strong product pipeline and high-margin treatments for otherwise unserved patient populations. These include treatment of HIV/AIDS and unique forms of cancer. The company’s earnings are set to surge more than 75% in fiscal 2025 thanks to recent success, which should continue to fuel generous dividends as well as continued investment in the drugmaker’s product pipeline.
Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI)
Sector: Energy Market value: $59 billion Dividend: 4.4%
The energy sector is one of the hardest places to find stability on Wall Street, given the persistent volatility in prices of oil and gas. And while Kinder Morgan has indeed underperformed in 2025, it has consistent long-term performance that includes roughly 90% gains over the last five years. That’s because KMI is a “midstream” oil-and-gas company with roughly 83,000 miles of pipelines and 140 terminal facilities across the U.S. This more stable business model fuels consistent earnings as well as consistent dividends. At the end of 2023, KMI closed a more than $1.8 billion acquisition of additional pipeline assets to expand its energy infrastructure business and earlier this year snapped up rival Hiland Partners Holdings LLC for $640 million to grow even further. With big scale, consistent dividends and a measure of insulation from the ups and downs of fossil fuel prices, it’s hard to find a stock in the sector that’s safer than KMI.
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)
Sector: Industrials Market value: $104 billion Dividend: 3.0%
Lockheed is a defense stock that keeps America safe, and is similarly a safe bet for your portfolio as a result. The company is famous for its war machines that include the F-35 Lightning, the F-117 stealth fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and others. LMT has also evolved with modern warfare and has a robust line of missiles, undersea surveillance systems, and high-tech spy satellites. Considering the Department of Defense is one of the few areas in Washington that hasn’t seen spending cuts, the durability of Lockheed sales is clear. And with a generous $3.30 quarterly payout that is double the $1.15 per share it paid back in 2013, there’s a strong history of dividend growth to provide stability and income to investment portfolios, too.
Southern Co. (SO)
Sector: Utilities Market value: $104 billion Dividend: 3.1%
Utilities are generally considered some of the best safe stocks to buy, thanks to a highly regulated industry that is made up of dominant regional companies with wide moats. Southern Company is a great example of this in action, as the No. 2 utility in the U.S. by market value, boasting operations that range from Illinois to Tennessee to Georgia. It has operated since 1945, now serving some 9 million total electric and natural gas customers in regions with growing populations and consistent demand. From a dividend perspective, SO is also a very safe bet with a track record of 24 consecutive years of dividend increases after 2025’s boost to payouts.
[Read: 7 Best Data Center Stocks, REITs and ETFs to Buy Now]
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7 Best Safe Stocks to Buy Now originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/21/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
