I have a strong reason to keep dividend stocks, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (TSX:BIP.UN, NYSE:BIP), and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD, NYSE:TD), in my portfolio.

Johnson & Johnson
Allow me to be crystal clear. J&J will not deliver the highest returns as a stock in the healthcare space. I have other stocks for that. At the moment, that includes deep-value dividend stock, CVS Health (NYSE:CVS).
However, J&J’s financial performance is highly stable and predictable. Since 1999, the diversified healthcare conglomerate has increased earnings every single year on a per-share basis. Not surprisingly, it has increased its dividend every year in that period as well.

Therefore, J&J stock serves as an excellent anchor for a diversified portfolio. Even when a recession hits, there’s no need to worry about its staying power. In fact, in the last two recessions, it thrived with double-digit earnings and dividend growth!
To sum it up, JNJ stock serves as a stabilizer and high-quality cash cow in my portfolio. I’ll continue adding to it at good valuations as a core holding of my diversified portfolio.
Currently, I’d consider the stock to be fairly valued to modestly undervalued. At $135 per share, it trades at 15.7x earnings and is estimated to have earnings-per-share growth of 6% per year over the next three to five years. The stock also tends to command a premium multiple due to its high quality.
JNJ stock offers a safe yield of 2.8% backed by a payout ratio of 44%. It’s set to increase its dividend in late April.
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