With uncertainty and volatility being major themes in the stock market today, investors would be looking at defensive stocks now. After all, inflation is running rampant, the Federal Reserve is trying to reel it in, and fears of a recession are growing. Because of this, some of the top defensive stocks would be coming into focus. As this sector of the stock market is home to inflation-resistant businesses and aristocrat dividend stocks alike, this would make sense.
For instance, we take a look at Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG. Following Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN Prime Day 2022 event, Procter & Gamble’s diapers and wipes categories did receive an uptick in sales. Notably, its Pampers brand is among the leading categories in terms of sales on its platform. As consumer prices continue to rise, defensive names like PG stock would gain attention during such mega-sales. This would represent the side of the industry that provides consumers with their day-to-day needs. Not to mention, the company also offers a quarterly dividend of $0.91, adding up to a 2.51% annual yield.
At the same time, even health care firms like Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA continue to make headlines. As of yesterday, the company is increasing its quarterly dividend to $0.48 per share. This represents a 0.5% rise while bringing its annual rate from $1.91 to $1.92. Also, it marks the 47th consecutive year of dividend raises for Walgreens. Having read this far, you might be keen on defensive stocks yourself. Should that be the case, here are three more defensive firms to consider in the stock market now.