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7 Best Safe Stocks to Buy Now

By U.S. News & World Report

While investors have seen plenty of gloomy headlines, the S&P 500 is up about 16% year to date as of Dec. 9 as it races toward the close of the year. That’s tangible proof that day trading based on short-term predictions could be dangerous, particularly given the negativity in 2025 around rising prices, trade policies and other items.

Investors looking for a long-term approach should consider moving beyond the headlines, then, and staking out low-risk, dependable investments that deliver in any environment. The best safe stocks to buy now offer sustainable revenue, stable earnings and consistent dividends. Investments like that help build wealth without the extreme volatility seen in other assets like cryptocurrencies or day trading in the latest AI startups.

The following seven picks represent safe stocks to buy now based on positive year-to-date returns, sustainable dividends and strong market positions that will persist regardless of the news cycle in 2026:

Stock Sector Market cap Dividend yield
CME Group Inc. (ticker: CME) Financial services $97.2 billion 1.9%
Dollar General Corp. (DG) Consumer staples $27.4 billion 1.9%
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) Health care $147.8 billion 2.7%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Health care $488.8 billion 2.6%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Technology $3.6 trillion 0.7%
Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) Industrials $78.7 billion 1.7%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) Consumer staples $916.2 billion 0.8%

CME Group Inc. (CME)

Sector: Financial services Market value: $97.2 billion Dividend yield: 1.9%

CME Group is one of the world’s largest and most important derivatives exchanges, serving as a core utility for global financial markets. Founded in 1898, the company operates a suite of futures and options markets. Because CME acts as a marketplace rather than a money manager, its business model depends on trading volumes rather than market direction. In periods of uncertainty or volatility, that structure becomes especially profitable.

This staying power makes CME a safe stock, and its scale creates durable competitive advantages. And while it doesn’t have the balance-sheet heft of major banks, it also is less sensitive to cyclical ups and downs thanks to its niche as a critical part of the global financial system.

Dollar General Corp. (DG)

Sector: Consumer staples Market value: $27.4 billion Dividend yield: 1.9%

Dollar General is one of America’s largest discount retailers, operating more than 20,000 stores across small towns, rural communities and underserved urban neighborhoods. Its value-priced merchandise makes it a go-to destination for budget-conscious shoppers. In challenging economic environments when consumers prioritize savings, Dollar General often sees stronger traffic and higher demand.

That’s certainly the case in 2025, as shares are up an impressive 70% on the year, including a big Q3 earnings beat that included expanding gross margin. That sparked a big rally, but there is more to Dollar General’s appeal than just the short-term uptrend. The company continues to invest in supply chain improvements, store modernization and targeted expansion that will ensure this low-cost leader remains in favor.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD)

Sector:

Health care Market value: $147.8 billion Dividend yield: 2.7%

Gilead Sciences is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company focused on high-margin treatments for HIV/AIDS, liver diseases and certain cancers. By specializing in complex and underserved medical needs rather than competing in crowded markets like weight-loss drugs, the company has built durable profitability and generates about $9 billion in annual operating cash flow. Its stock is up roughly 30% in 2025, reflecting confidence in a strong product portfolio and pipeline.

Gilead’s HIV franchise remains a core revenue driver, bolstered by long-acting and combination therapies that improve patient outcomes. In oncology, the company is advancing targeted therapies, including innovative cell-based treatments with long-term growth potential. Gilead’s financial stability coupled with the recession-proof nature of health care spending makes Gilead a reliable long-term investment in any market environment.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Sector: Health care Market value: $488.8 billion Dividend yield: 2.6%

Another health care stock with low-risk appeal, Johnson & Johnson is one of the most established and financially sound health care companies in the world. Founded in 1886, the company has undergone significant transformation in recent years, including the spin-off of its consumer health division. This has allowed J&J to sharpen its focus on pharmaceuticals and medical devices — two higher-margin and innovation-driven areas.

J&J is one of only two U.S. corporations with a AAA credit rating, giving it exceptional financial flexibility in any market environment. It has a long history of commitment to its shareholders via 63 consecutive years of dividend increases — one of the longest streaks among publicly traded U.S. companies — and a sign of consistent profitability in any market environment. JNJ’s strong balance sheet, defensive business profile and long history of disciplined management make it one of the best safe stocks to buy now.

[Read: 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever]

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)

Sector: Technology Market value: $3.6 trillion Dividend yield: 0.7%

If you’re wondering what other company is also AAA-rated like J&J, Microsoft is the answer. The tech leader remains one of the most influential software companies in the world. Beyond old-school programs like Word and Outlook, continued growth for its cloud-services platform Azure ensures it will remain relevant for the future. On top of that, its $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, completed in 2023, expanded Microsoft’s position in the global gaming market alongside its Xbox hardware and content offerings.

Microsoft recently reported 40% year-over-year revenue growth for Azure and its other cloud platforms in its fiscal first quarter. That shows the Seattle firm knows how to thrive regardless of big-picture threats like trade disruptions or widespread AI adoption. Microsoft’s global scale, entrenched enterprise relationships and general tech leadership create a foundation for long-term stability. It remains one of the few tech giants capable of delivering both consistent growth and reliable dividends.

Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC)

Sector: Industrials Market value: $78.7 billion Dividend yield: 1.7%

Northrop Grumman is a leading U.S. defense contractor with deep expertise in aerospace, missile systems, command-and-control technologies, and unmanned platforms. The company is best known for developing the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and its next-generation successor, the B-21 Raider, a program expected to run through at least 2040. This history of multibillion-dollar government contracts provides steady revenue and predictable cash flow that should appeal to low-risk investors.

What’s more, geopolitical instability lately has heightened global defense spending and reinforced the strategic importance of contractors like Northrop Grumman. Its deep government relationships, mission-critical technologies and broad program portfolio make it a great choice for investors.

Walmart Inc. (WMT)

Sector: Consumer staples Market value: $916.2 billion Dividend yield: 0.8%

Walmart is one of the world’s largest and most influential retailers, operating more than 10,000 stores worldwide and employing over 2 million people. That scale gives Walmart significant pricing power and supply-chain advantages that make the company highly resilient in any market environment.

Believe it or not, the Arkansas firm is already the largest grocery store operator in the U.S. Beyond that, Walmart ranks as the second-largest e-commerce company by revenue in the U.S. behind Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN). In fact, its latest earnings report showed that e-commerce grew 27% with growth in each business segment of more than 20%. While short-term uncertainties remain, Walmart’s combination of scale, digital growth and low-cost positioning make it one of the best safe stocks to buy now.

More from U.S. News

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7 Best Safe Stocks to Buy Now originally appeared on usnews.com

Update 12/10/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

As Chicago rethinks its monuments, an artist surrounds George Washington with ‘Other Washingtons’

By CNN
Chicago (CNN) — In Chicago, a lone statue of George Washington is now surrounded by “Other Washingtons,” which take the form of blue flags bearing the faces of Black Americans who bear the same last name. They include a range of notable figures and local heroes, such as the inventor George Washington Carver, Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington, architect Roberta Washington, and South Side school band leader Benjamin Washington.Who is worthy of a monument? That question circulated across the United States six years ago as the country reckoned with racial injustice in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, including who is represented by, or excluded from, our public symbols. Statues of controversial figures were vandalized and taken down, with more than 160 Confederate works removed from public spaces in 2020.Chicago has offered its own answer: to commission new monuments or respond to existing ones, based on internal research that found the city had gaps in representation of gender and race. This year, its Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is unveiling a spate of new artist commissions, called the Chicago Monuments Project.“Other Washingtons,” which opened on Thursday in Washington Park, on the city’s South Side, was conceptualized by artist and architect Amanda Williams and is the second so far to be completed. It asks community members to think of the Washingtons that matter to them, with flags and accompanying banners telling their stories and that will rotate out annually for three years.The project is meant to represent “a living archive,” said Kenya K. Merritt, a commissioner from DCASE, in a statement. It “can continue to grow, reflect community memory, and make space for stories that are less widely known.”The design is modeled after the flags that surround the Washington Monument in the nation’s capital, and the colors Williams chose — blue, cream, chocolate and salmon — reference a color palette developed by George Washington Carver, that the artist has explored as part of a larger body of work on the scientist.Depicting Washington on horseback during the Revolutionary War, the original monument has been there since 1904, and is actually a replica of one gifted to France. For a long time, the statue was fenced in after it was vandalized in June 2020. Monuments to Washington and other Founding Fathers were targeted by anti-racist protestors. Washington himself had hundreds of slaves at his home and plantation in Virginia. With the statue in Chicago located in a predominately Black neighborhood, Williams believes it doesn’t fully represent the community in which it resides.“How do you make the site relevant again?” That was the question on her mind when she received the commission, she explained in an interview at the opening event. “What does it mean to not touch him, but to make something that will maybe obscure him?”A monument to manyWilliams’ idea began to take shape with census research, finding that Washington has long been one of the top surnames almost entirely associated with Black Americans. In the 2000s, it reached the top spot, with around 90% of Washingtons identifying as African American. (In the 2020 census, the surname was outranked only by Pierre, though Washington is a much more common name.)It became clear to her then that she could monumentalize many Washingtons who might be more meaningful to passersby, from musicians and athletes to politicians and local heroes. In collaboration with the educator and nearby Englewood resident Candice Washington, who is curating the project, they launched a website to ask for collective input.“It allows the community to really take ownership,” Williams said. “They need to know these are their stories.”“Other Washingtons” is one of eight commissions planned across the city as part of the Chicago Monuments Project, which has received $6.8 million from the Mellon Foundation. Last month, markers around the city were completed to commemorate the victims of the Chicago Race Riot of 1919. Other commissions include a monument to honor Native voices, a sculpture of gospel singer and Civil Rights activist Mahalia Jackson, and a site to recognize the survivors who were tortured by the Chicago Police Department during the 1970s-1990s.But the initiative is bearing the fruits of its labor during President Trump’s second term, when the federal government, in contrast, has doubled down on honoring figures traditionally exalted in US history and is funding such monuments at a breakneck pace. The White House has announced a location for its long-planned National Garden of American Heroes, added sculptures of the Founding Fathers to a newly paved Rose Garden, regilded existing mythological statues by Leo Friedlander, and is pursuing a 250-foot-tall triumphal arch that would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial.Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson, who spoke at the opening of “Other Washingtons,” hopes that the city can set an example through the Chicago Monuments Project.“Through this initiative, Chicago sets a national model for how cities can invest in public art to preserve history, strengthen communities, and inspire real dialogue,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson in his public remarks. “‘Other Washingtons’ expands our understanding of our history and honors the many Washingtons who contribute and have shaped this city, and that will continue to inspire future generations.”At the event, some of those honored and their families were present. The local band leader Benjamin Washington was there, who Williams had not yet met. She ran up to introduce herself and shake his hand before speaking at the podium. After the remarks, different Washingtons smiled and took photos beneath their banners, wearing stickers that said “I’m a Washington.”“My name is Sonya Washington,” one woman said, pointing up to a banner as she introduced herself. “You can find me up there.”The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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