Sit Out The Crash With These 5 Dividend Stocks

Stocks plummeted by more than 10% last week after President Trump unveiled his new ‘reciprocal' tariff chart, with some heavy importers like Kohl's, Five Below, and Wayfair falling more than 20% on the day. 

It was the worst two days for stocks since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the markets and panic reigned. Investors are left looking for safe havens, with gold and consumer staples, for example, both outperforming the markets in the last couple of weeks.

Dividend-paying stocks are another option. Not only can they protect your investment while you sit out this market drama – they can pay you while you wait. But it’s important to be careful when picking dividend stocks because there can be some pitfalls.

Today, let’s look at five stocks paying stable dividends in sectors that often outperform during drawdowns or economic turbulence.

Investors often look to safe harbors like dividend-paying stocks in times of uncertainty, but there's more to a dividend than just a high yield. You must be cautious when picking stocks for income because not all 5% yielding stocks are equal. One key factor is the dividend payout rate, or DPR. The DPR is the ratio of earnings a company uses to fund its dividend payout. For example, if a company has an 85% DPR, that means 85% of the company's earnings go toward satisfying the dividend. Naturally, companies with lower DPRs have more space to raise payouts in the future, and that's what income-seeking investors want most.

Procter and Gamble Inc.

Consumer staples are a popular pick for defensive investing. Procter and Gamble PG not only sells essentials with inelastic demand but is one of the strongest dividend-paying stocks on the market. PG belongs to a prestigious club known as the Dividend Aristocrats, which are large-cap companies in the S&P 500 with a history of raising their dividend payouts for at least 25 consecutive years. Even amongst that group, PG is an exceptional company – it's raised its dividend payout annually for 69 straight years!

PG stock has a dividend yield of 2.38%, with a 5% annualized dividend growth rate over the last three years. The DPR is 64%, which may seem high, but PG resides in a low-growth sector and can utilize a more significant portion of earnings to satisfy its dividend. The company posted an 18% profit margin last quarter, superior to competitors like Colgate-Palmolive and Kimberly-Clark, along with a debt/equity ratio below 1. The stock also just triggered a technical breakout signal with the 50-day moving average crossing over the 200-day.

PepsiCo Inc. 

Another Dividend Aristocrat, PepsiCo PEP, makes popular soft drinks like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade and snack foods under the Frito-Lay brand. Over 60% of the company's manufacturing occurs in the United States, which should grant it some shelter from tariff woes. It's also raised its dividend annually for 53 straight years and currently yields 3.58%.

Pepsi's biggest competitor is Coca-Cola, another 50-year dividend booster, but Pepsi has a few advantages that put it ahead for income investors. Pepsi has a lower DPR (77% vs. 83%), higher yield (3.58% vs. 2.79%), and has grown its dividend at a faster rate over the previous three years (7.9% vs. 4.9%). The stock also trades at just 17 times forward earnings and 2.3 times sales, both better figures than Coca-Cola.

Nucor Corp. 

Nucor NUE stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Trump's tariffs, as the company manufactures most of its steel and iron products domestically and has had little pushback to price raises to start 2025. Nucor also has a 52-year history of raising its dividend, which currently yields 2% and has a very manageable 26.2% DPR. It's been a brutal 12 months for the company, which saw its stock cut in half from its 2024 highs. But the Relative Strength Index (RSI) just hit an Oversold trigger, so it’s worth reexamining this beaten-down name.

Nucor has profit margins similar to American competitors like Steel Dynamics and Reliance Steel. Still, it pays a superior yield and has an impressive 8.2% dividend growth rate over the last three years. The stock trades at 10 times forward earnings and just 0.82 times sales, and its 18% decline in the previous month could present dividend seekers with a buying opportunity.

Altria Group Inc. 

Not everyone will feel comfortable investing in a company that manufactures cigarettes. But if you're looking for a dividend yield in uncertain times, Altria Group MO is a stock that stands out for its strong payout and, yes, an addictive product with inelastic demand. The company distributes the Marlboro brand of tobacco, Black and Milds, and smokeless products like Skoal and Copenhagen.

For Altria, 2024 was one of its best years in a decade, thanks to a 20% stock price jump and solid earnings growth. The company has profit margins of over 50% and a tiny P/E ratio at 8.8. And did we mention the dividend? MO yields a whopping 7% and has raised its payout for 56 years. Despite the impressive yield, Altria's DPR is just 62.3%, making it manageable despite the hefty obligation. MO shares also earned an 89.76 Momentum score from Benzinga Edge, a rare feat for a tobacco company.

McKesson Corp. 

McKesson MCK was among the few stocks to rally during the tariff tantrum on April 2, jumping 3% and building its year-to-date gain over 25%. Healthcare stocks are another safe harbor during uncertain periods, and investors have been flocking to McKesson, which is well-positioned to continue its substantial dividend boosts.

MCK shares yield only 0.41%, but the dividend payout is $2.84 annually since the share price equals $700. While the yield seems paltry, the company has been aggressively boosting it over the last three years. Dividend growth exceeded 14% annually during the period, yet the DPR is still just 13%, giving the company plenty of room for future dividend raises. McKesson doesn't have the reputation of the Dividend Aristocrats mentioned above. Still, it does have 17 straight years of payout increases under its belt, and the stock trades at a reasonable 19.5 times forward earnings.

Photo: Shutterstock