5 Best Dividend Aristocrat Stocks To Buy Heading Into Recession

In this article, we discuss 5 best dividend aristocrat stocks to buy heading into recession. If you want to see more stocks in this selection, click 11 Best Dividend Aristocrat Stocks To Buy Heading Into Recession. 

5. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 63

Dividend Yield as of May 6: 1.50%

Number of Years of Consecutive Dividend Increases: 49

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), an American multinational retailer, is one of the best dividend aristocrat stocks to buy heading into recession. The company’s discount department stores and grocery stores still see traffic despite changing macro backdrops. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)’s dividend yield on May 6 came in at 1.50%, and the company has grown dividend payments for 49 years consecutively. 

On February 17, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) declared a $0.56 per share quarterly dividend, a 1.8% increase from its earlier dividend of $0.55. The dividend was paid on April 4. The next payment is due on May 21, for shareholders of record on May 6. 

DA Davidson analyst Michael Baker on April 8 maintained a Buy recommendation on Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) and raised the firm’s price target on the shares to $171 from $168. The analyst cited a potential $70 billion valuation for Flipkart for the price target upgrade. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has been one of the best performers in 2022 after last year’s underperformance, rising 7.5% as retailers of basic products have outperformed discretionary retailers, the analyst told investors in a research note.

According to Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter database, 63 hedge funds were long Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), compared to 71 funds in the last quarter. The total stakes owned in Q4 amounted to $7.1 billion. Rajiv Jain’s GQG Partners is the biggest shareholder of the company, with 10.4 million shares worth $1.50 billion.