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What do Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), and Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) have in common? Dividends! With the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) still near all-time highs and volatility elevated, now could be a great time to focus on reliable dividend stocks like these.
In fact, if there were a bear market, or worse, a recession, owning any of these industry-leading companies could help you sleep well at night. Here's why.
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Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, and Colgate-Palmolive are all Dividend Aristocrats®. That means they've each increased their dividend annually for 25 consecutive years. But that's actually not the full story. They are all also Dividend Kings, which means they have increased their dividends for at least 50 years. The shortest streak on the list is PepsiCo's 54 years. The longest is held by P&G, at an incredible 70 years.
A company can't build streaks like these without a strong business model executed well in both good times and bad. In fact, all of these companies are industry leaders that can stand toe-to-toe with any competitor. Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, and Colgate-Palmolive all hail from the consumer staples sector. They sell relatively low-cost products, such as food and toiletries, that are purchased regularly regardless of economic or stock market conditions.
Johnson & Johnson is a diversified healthcare giant, operating in the pharmaceutical and medical device spaces. Healthcare spending often isn't optional, given what can happen if a person doesn't take care of their health. In some ways, J&J's business could be even more resilient than that of a consumer staples maker.
To be fair, this is a diverse list, with some companies performing better than others right now. The best example of that is Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which are direct competitors in the beverage sector. In the third quarter of 2026, Coca-Cola's organic sales rose 7%, while PepsiCo's rose less than half that at 3.1%. Given that, it might not surprise you that Coca-Cola's dividend yield is 2.2%, while PepsiCo's is a much higher 4.1%. If you are a value investor, high-yield PepsiCo is probably the best choice on this list. Coca-Cola will appeal to more conservative investors who are willing to pay a premium for high-performing businesses.
Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive are also direct competitors. P&G's 2.5% yield is slightly higher than Colgate-Palmolive's 2.1%. While they aren't interchangeable, per se, both are performing reasonably well right now, with organic sales growth of roughly 4% in their most recent quarters. If your goal is to maximize yield, P&G has a slight edge.
Johnson & Johnson is the odd man out because it operates in a different sector. The yield is 1.9%, which is the lowest on the list. However, its 64-year dividend streak is the longest of any healthcare company. That makes it a leading option in the sector, and it only becomes more attractive when you consider its diversification across two healthcare subsectors.
You could buy all of five of these dividend stocks and call it a day. That would provide you with attractive diversification and a solid overall yield. But even if you only buy one of the five, the key benefit is that you are adding a reliable income stream to your portfolio. At a time when market uncertainty is high, the value of that can't be overstated.
Basically, while other investors are losing sleep as they watch stock prices swing around, you can rest easy by focusing instead on your reliable dividend checks. And even if there is a recession or bear market, you can take comfort in the fact that you own businesses that are resilient to both. That doesn't mean the stocks won't fall, but you don't have to focus on that with these stocks. Their resilient businesses and incredible dividend histories will give you comfort and help you avoid making short-term emotional decisions that could harm your long-term financial health, such as selling out of fear.
Before you buy stock in Colgate-Palmolive, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Colgate-Palmolive wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
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Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Colgate-Palmolive. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
These 5 Dividend Aristocrats® Have Raised Payouts for Decades was originally published by The Motley Fool
