Investors prioritizing consistent returns over time can look to reliable dividend stocks to provide income in addition to share price appreciation.
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No investment is guaranteed on Wall Street, but regular payouts from blue-chip dividend stocks may be as close as investors can get to a sure thing. Even if a high-quality dividend stock’s share price temporarily drops, investors can typically count on their dividend payments.
In fact, dividends have accounted for about 40% of total stock market returns over the past 90 years. Here are seven dividend stocks investors can buy and hold forever, according to Bank of America analysts:
| Stock | Forward dividend yield | Implied upside* |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. (ticker: JPM) | 2.1% | 25% |
| Chevron Corp. (CVX) | 3.5% | 0.4% |
| Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) | 2.9% | 19% |
| Home Depot Inc. (HD) | 2.8% | 30% |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | 2.7% | 17% |
| Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) | 2.1% | 21% |
| Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) | 2.9% | 14% |
*Based on March 23 closing price and Bank of America analysts’ price targets.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)
JPMorgan Chase is one of the world’s largest banks and financial services companies, with more than $4 trillion in assets. Analyst Ebrahim Poonawala says the bank’s commitment to digital products and financial technology has set JPMorgan apart from competitors. Some of those products and services include U.K. retail banking, blockchain platform Onyx, investment in Brazilian bank C6 and the company’s dozens of fintech acquisitions. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $362 price target for JPM stock, which closed at $289.91 on March 23.
Chevron Corp. (CVX)
Chevron is a global oil major that operates exploration and production, petrochemical and refining, and marketing businesses. In 2025, Chevron acquired Hess following nearly two years of regulatory uncertainty. Even before the U.S. military strikes in Iran made oil prices spike, analyst Jean Ann Salisbury says Chevron was well positioned to capitalize on the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. She says Chevron has significant relationships and personnel in Venezuela and plans to increase production there by 50% over the next two years. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $206 price target for CVX stock, which closed at $205.21 on March 23.
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG)
Procter & Gamble produces household consumer products and owns a number of popular brands, including Pampers, Tide and Gillette. Analyst Peter Galbo says Procter’s diversified portfolio of billion-dollar global brands that hold leading market shares make the company a bellwether of the entire consumer staples sector. Galbo says Procter’s decision to streamline its portfolio is beginning to pay off financially. Despite a soft outlook for the first half of 2026, Galbo anticipates consistent earnings beats and guidance hikes for the foreseeable future. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $171 price target for PG stock, which closed at $143.99 on March 23.
Home Depot Inc. (HD)
Home Depot is one of the largest North American home improvement retailers. The company caters to both professional contractors and do-it-yourself home improvement amateurs, selling a wide range of building, decorating, and lawn and garden products and services. Analyst Robert Ohmes says Home Depot has consistently gained market share over the past decade thanks to its superior strategy and stellar execution, and he anticipates that outperformance will continue in the years ahead. He says growth in complex professional project revenue will be particularly bullish. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $430 price target for HD stock, which closed at $330.90 on March 23.
[7 Best High-Dividend Stocks to Buy Under $10]
Coca-Cola Co. (KO)
Coca-Cola is a leading nonalcoholic beverage company. Galbo says Coca-Cola is one of the best consumer staples operators in the entire sector, and long-term investors can appreciate the company’s highly diversified global business and disciplined management team. He says Coca-Cola’s fiscal 2026 financial targets are reachable, and the stock deserves to trade at a premium valuation given the company’s scale advantages over smaller competitors. Galbo says Coca-Cola’s incidence-based pricing model and balanced and durable organic sales growth will create additional value over time. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $88 price target for KO stock, which closed at $75.11 on March 23.
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO)
Cisco Systems provides networking, cloud, and cybersecurity hardware and software solutions. Analyst Tal Liani says Ethernet-based artificial intelligence buildouts and normalized campus switching demand will support Cisco’s networking segment, and new product launches should help re-accelerate Cisco’s security business. Liani says Cisco’s transition to recurring and subscription revenue provides financial clarity and consistency. In fact, half the company’s revenue is now recurring. Liani says Cisco is attractively valued given his 2026 outlook for 8.5% revenue growth, 34% operating margins and aggressive capital returns. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $95 price target for CSCO stock, which closed at $78.82 on March 23.
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK)
Merck is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, and its leading products include cancer drug Keytruda and HPV vaccine Gardasil. Analyst Jason Gerberry says the commercial performance from Keytruda and Merck’s other core products is solid, and its new product launches will drive future growth and help reduce risk. Gerberry says the company’s valuable pipeline of assets in development, combined with its recent acquisitions, suggests the stock has limited downside risk, and investors shouldn’t be overly concerned about declining Keytruda sales in 2028 and beyond. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $132 price target for MRK stock, which closed at $115.68 on March 23.
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7 Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 03/24/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
