In this article, we are going to discuss the 10 best affordable blue chip stocks to buy now.
The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high on April 17, as hopes of a de-escalation in the Middle East war and robust earnings expectations in the current Q1 earnings season drew investors back into risk assets. The index recovered all its losses since the beginning of the war and is now up 3.90% since the beginning of 2026, as of the writing of this piece.
According to big banks, the US consumer spending has remained resilient despite the high oil prices, while the pipeline for deals and IPOs was robust. According to data from LSEG, the S&P 500 companies are projected to earn a combined $605.1 billion for the first three months of 2026, up from a forecast of $598.7 billion at the beginning of the quarter.
That said, the high hopes of a fully open Strait of Hormuz have dwindled over the weekend after Washington and Tehran clashed over the current blockade. Moreover, the ongoing ceasefire is set to expire this week, and with still no deal in sight, there are again looming concerns of a renewed escalation.
With that said, here are the Best Affordable Blue Chip Stocks to Buy Right Now.
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
Our Methodology
To collect data for this article, we used our stock screeners to identify blue chip companies that boast a market cap of over $50 billion. We then shortlisted the stocks that had a share price of less than $50 and a forward P/E ratio of below 15, as of April 17. We then limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. The following are the Best Affordable Blue Chip Stocks to Invest in.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
10. BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP)
Share Price as of April 17: $44.59
Forward P/E Ratio: 14.97
BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) is a British multinational company recognized worldwide for quality gasoline, transport fuels, chemicals, and alternative sources of energy such as wind and biofuels.
On April 16, TD Cowen trimmed its price target on BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) from $46 to $44, while maintaining a ‘Hold’ rating on the shares. The analyst firm revised its model after the energy giant signaled exceptionally strong oil trading performance in the first quarter, which is expected to partially offset the lower Upstream realizations.
While BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) expects a windfall from the soaring oil prices triggered by the US-Iran war, its overall oil and gas production is projected to be broadly flat in the first quarter. Moreover, the energy firm expects its net debt to surge to between $25 billion and $27 billion at the end of Q1, up from just over $22 billion in the previous quarter, mainly due to movements in working capital.
On the other hand, the analysts over at UBS turned more bullish on BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) on April 15, upgrading the stock from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Buy’ (read more details here).
9. Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ)
Share Price as of April 17: $43
Forward P/E Ratio: 13.37
Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) is a senior crude oil and natural gas production company, with continuing operations in its core areas located in Western Canada, the UK portion of the North Sea, and offshore Africa.
On April 9, Wells Fargo analyst Sam Margolin bumped the firm’s price target on Canadian Natural Resources Limited from C$47 to C$61, while maintaining an ‘Equal Weight’ rating on the shares. The raised target reflects an upside potential of almost 4% from the current share price.
Wells Fargo revised its oil price forecast to $75 per barrel for Brent and $70 per barrel for WTI following the announcement of the US-Iran ceasefire, with talks currently ongoing for a long-term solution. Similar to 2022, the analyst sees this pullback as a mid-cycle correction that creates an entry point for a more orderly revaluation of well-positioned stocks.
Canadian Natural Resources Limited completed a strategic acquisition in the first quarter of 2026. As a result, the company raised its output target to 1.62 million-1.67 million boepd for FY 2026, up from 1.59 million-1.65 million boepd previously.
8. Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR)
Share Price as of April 17: $35.47
Forward P/E Ratio: 13.37
Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) is an international energy company headquartered in Norway, with over 25,000 employees in around 20 countries worldwide.
Equinor ASA revealed on April 16 that it expects the Q1 earnings from its marketing, midstream, and processing business to exceed its $400 million guidance, driven mainly by the significant volatility as a result of the US-Iran war. Moreover, the company’s gas trading business had also benefited from the price spikes during the cold spell earlier this year in the US, as well as from the “geographic spreads” in the gas market in Europe.
Equinor ASA became the latest European energy giant to signal stronger earnings in the upcoming Q1 report, following similar announcements by BP, Shell, and Total. Despite the ongoing ceasefire, Brent crude futures have soared by over 30% since the United States and Israel began their first strikes on Iran.
That said, Danske Bank recently turned bearish on Equinor ASA, downgrading the stock from ‘Buy’ to ‘Hold’ (read more details here).
7. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD)
Share Price as of April 17: $36.67
Forward P/E Ratio: 13.24
Next on our list of the Affordable Blue Chip Stocks is Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD). It is one of the largest publicly traded partnerships and a leading North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals.
On April 16, TD Cowen analyst Jason Gabelman bumped the firm’s price target on Enterprise Products Partners L.P. from $34 to $38, while maintaining a ‘Hold’ rating on the shares. The raised target reflects an upside of just under 4% from the current price level.
The revision comes after TD Cowen updated its estimates to reflect the limited upside from LPG exports, which could become more significant depending on spot exposure and a facility ramp-up. The analyst firm expects any such benefits to remain largely contained this year.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is known for its strong commitment to shareholders and long dividend history, highlighted by its growing distribution for 27 consecutive years. The midstream operator currently boasts a robust annual dividend yield of 6%, putting it among the 14 Value Stocks with Highest Dividends.
6. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)
Share Price as of April 17: $40.52
Forward P/E Ratio: 12.00
Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark.
Novo Nordisk A/S announced on April 14 that it was partnering with OpenAI to deploy artificial intelligence across its business. The strategic partnership will allow the Wegovy-maker to better use AI to analyze complex datasets, identify promising new drugs, and reduce the time it takes for a medicine to move from the research stage to patient use.
Sam Altman’s OpenAI will assist Novo Nordisk A/S in training its global workforce, enhancing AI literacy, and boosting productivity across departments. The drugmaker revealed that pilot programmes would begin across research and development, manufacturing, and commercial operations, with full integration planned by the end of this year.
Novo Nordisk A/S also clarified that the initiative was not intended to cut its current workforce, but to lift the productivity of its employees and curb the pace of future hiring.
Mike Doustdar, President and CEO of Novo Nordisk A/S, commented:
“This partnership is one important step in positioning Novo Nordisk to lead in the next era of healthcare. There are millions of people living with obesity and diabetes who need treatment options, and we know there are therapies still waiting to be discovered that could change their lives. Integrating AI in our everyday work gives us the ability to analyse datasets at a scale that was previously impossible, identify patterns we could not see, and test hypotheses faster than ever. This means discovering new therapies and bringing them to market faster than ever before.”
5. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)
Share Price as of April 17: $26.51
Forward P/E Ratio: 11.45
AT&T Inc. provides telecommunications and technology services worldwide.
On April 16, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage of AT&T Inc. with an ‘Overweight’ rating and a price target of $30, indicating an upside potential of over 13% from the current price levels.
The analyst firm highlighted that AT&T Inc. is “well into its turnaround story” after offloading its noncore assets and sharpening its focus to its core connectivity services business. Moreover, the company’s status as “by far” the largest fiber provider and builder in the US positions it well to benefit from industry convergence.
AT&T Inc. is targeting to reach over 40 million customer locations with its fiber services by the end of 2026, up from 32 million at the end of last year. The company plans to expand its fiber reach by approximately 5 million locations annually through the end of the decade.
On the other hand, BNP Paribas turned bearish on AT&T Inc., downgrading the stock from ‘Outperform’ to ‘Neutral’ on April 8 (read more details here).
4. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)
Share Price as of April 17: $46.55
Forward P/E Ratio: 9.51
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) engages in the provision of communications, technology, information, and streaming products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide.
On April 16, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage of Verizon Communications Inc. with an ‘Equal Weight’ rating and a price target of $49, representing an upside of more than 5% from the current levels.
According to the analyst firm, Verizon Communications Inc. is currently going through a strategic turnaround under its new CEO, Dan Schulman. Morgan Stanley expects the company to remain a show-me story in the near to medium term, as investors look for clear evidence that the new management can successfully transition Verizon from the wireless market share to gaining it.
Verizon Communications Inc. is targeting approximately 750,000 to 1 million postpaid phone net adds in 2026, which is 2 to 3 times its total last year. The company expects its adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $4.90 to $4.95 for FY 2026, up 4% to 5% from last year. Moreover, free cash flow is projected to reach $21.5 billion or more during the year, indicating a YoY growth of about 7% or more.
3. Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY)
Share Price as of April 17: $48.06
Forward P/E Ratio: 9.44
Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) is a healthcare biopharmaceutical company that engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions.
On April 13, Citi analyst Graham Parry raised the firm’s price target on Sanofi from €80 to €82, while maintaining a ‘Neutral’ rating on the shares.
Sanofi is targeting sales to grow by a high single-digit percentage in FY 2026, with business EPS surging slightly faster than sales. The company expects this profitable growth to continue for at least five years. Moreover, Sanofi plans to execute a share buyback program of €1B this year.
The strong guidance comes despite Sanofi undergoing a significant leadership change this month, with Belén Garijo taking charge as the company’s new chief executive officer on April 29.
With an impressive annual dividend yield of 5.04%, Sanofi was recently included in our list of the 15 Large-cap Stocks with Highest Dividends.
2. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)
Share Price as of April 17: $12.87
Forward P/E Ratio: 8.24
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) develops, delivers, and services Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans, and cars, and Lincoln luxury vehicles in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and internationally.
On April 14, UBS analyst Joseph Spak upgraded Ford Motor Company from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Buy’, while keeping the firm’s price target on the stock unchanged at $15. The target represents an upside of over 16% from the current price levels.
According to UBS, Ford’s earnings power is being underappreciated by investors, as the analyst sees a “credible path” for the carmaker to post an EPS of over $2 in 2027, up 17% from estimates. Beyond 2027, UBS expects Ford to move towards earnings of $3 per share, driven by its “product portfolio, a more lenient U.S. regulatory backdrop, combined with a more pragmatic EV strategy, an emerging battery energy storage system opportunity, and more focus on higher margin Pro software”.
Ford Motor Company is currently under pressure due to concerns over the ongoing higher gasoline and aluminum prices. However, UBS believes that these concerns are overdone, since aluminum prices are hedged and will not impact the company’s results this year.
1. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR)
Share Price as of April 17: $20.45
Forward P/E Ratio: 7.79
Topping our list of the Best Affordable Blue Chip Stocks is Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR), one of the largest oil and gas producers in the world. The Brazilian company is mainly dedicated to exploration and production, refining, energy generation, and marketing.
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras received a boost on April 17 when BofA upgraded the stock from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Buy’, while also raising its price target from $18.70 to $24.80. The revised target, which indicates an upside of over 21% from the current levels, comes as the analyst firm incorporated its higher oil price deck into its model.
The oil and gas sector has posted a strong performance so far this year, driven primarily by soaring prices amid the Middle East conflict. However, the firm still sees an “appealing” dividend yield for 2026-27, even with many operators putting more cash into their capital expenditures.
With a robust annual dividend yield of 5.80%, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras was recently included in our list of the 15 Best High Yield Energy Stocks to Buy Right Now.
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