Top Tier Dividend Paying Companies Lagging The Market (WMT, MSFT, JNJ)

What do Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) all have in common? All are great top tier companies that are among the best America has to offer. All pay dividends at or above the market average of a little over 2%. And all are "value" stocks with modest P/E ratios and reasonable price to book values.

Another interesting common thread is all these companies have lagged the general market today and for the past 3 months. Over the past 5 trading sessions MSFT is up 2.5%, WMT is down 2%, and JNJ is down 0.75%, while the general market is up 3.5%. Extend the timeframe back 3 months and these stalwarts have underperformed between 4% - 10%.

If one is skittish about the current rally but does not want their cash to stagnate in a money market these names might be good yielding investments over the next several years.