In this article, we will take a look at the 5 Reliable Dividend Stocks to Buy for Long-Term Investors. For deeper discussion and analysis, read 10 Reliable Dividend Stocks to Buy for Long-Term Investors.
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5. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74
Dividend Yield as of June 24: 2.85%
On June 24, Morgan Stanley raised its price recommendation on NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) to $117 from $111. It reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares. The update came as part of the firm’s review of North American regulated and diversified utilities, as well as independent power producers, for May. According to the analyst, utility stocks underperformed the broader S&P 500 during the month.
Earlier, on June 17, Bernstein initiated coverage of NEE. The firm set an Outperform rating and a $107 price target on the stock. The firm said the stock’s relative underperformance came despite “solid fundamentals.” According to the analyst, investor sentiment was weighed down by the XPLR Infrastructure “fiasco” and the recent announcement from Dominion. Even so, Bernstein believes those concerns are now reflected in the stock price and sees room for further upside.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) is an electric power and energy infrastructure company. It operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, and NextEra Energy Transmission, LLC, which are collectively known as NEER, as well as Florida Power & Light Company (FPL).
4. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 98
Dividend Yield as of June 24: 2.82%
On June 24, CICC initiated coverage of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) with an Outperform rating. It also set a $138 price target on the stock.
Merck also provided an updated outlook during its first-quarter 2026 earnings call. Executive Vice President and CFO Caroline Litchfield said the company had narrowed its full-year guidance ranges. It also increased the midpoint of both its revenue and earnings-per-share (EPS) forecasts.
According to Litchfield, Merck now expects 2026 revenue to come in between $65.8 billion and $67 billion. The company also projects EPS of $5.04 to $5.16 for the year. She noted that the guidance does not include the impact of Merck’s proposed acquisition of Terns. Litchfield said the transaction is expected to result in a one-time charge that would increase research and development expenses by about $5.8 billion, or roughly $2.35 per share.
In addition, Merck expects an EPS headwind of approximately $0.12 per share this year from financing costs and ongoing investments related to the deal. Litchfield also compared the updated outlook with the guidance issued in the prior quarter. She noted that Merck raised the lower end of its revenue forecast from $65.5 billion to $65.8 billion. The company also narrowed its EPS guidance range, increasing it from $5.00-$5.15 to $5.04-$5.16.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a global healthcare company that provides prescription medicines, biologic therapies, vaccines, and animal health products.
3. The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 101
Dividend Yield as of June 24: 1.40%
On June 19, The Wall Street Journal reported that The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) is expanding into the prediction markets space. According to people familiar with the matter, the brokerage is working with Cboe Global Markets to introduce all-or-nothing options contracts that allow customers to make yes-or-no bets on the performance of the S&P 500.
The contracts differ somewhat from those offered by platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which provide futures contracts rather than options. Even so, these binary options work in a similar way. They either pay a fixed cash settlement or nothing at all, depending on whether the S&P 500 closes above or below a specified target price.
The people said Schwab plans to make the contracts available to customers in the coming months. Schwab is also developing a similar offering that uses a Cboe feature known as “the plus zone.” This feature allows traders to receive a partial payout if their prediction is close, even when the index does not close exactly at the target level.
According to the report, Schwab and Cboe have also discussed introducing contracts tied to other indexes or financial benchmarks. The brokerage, though, intends to focus on events with measurable and verifiable outcomes in financial markets. Contracts linked to events such as World Cup results or next year’s Oscars are not being considered.
The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) is a savings and loan holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services.
2. Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 104
Dividend Yield as of June 24: 1.24%
On June 24, Citi raised its price recommendation on Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) to $600 from $585. It reiterated a Buy rating on the stock. The revision came as part of the firm’s second-quarter earnings preview for the specialty chemicals sector.
Discussing the company’s performance and outlook, Linde CEO Sanjiv Lamba said the company delivered another strong quarter despite increasingly challenging global conditions. He pointed to 10% EPS growth, a 30% operating margin, and a 24% return on capital. According to Lamba, these results reflected the resilience of Linde’s operating model, disciplined capital allocation, and the effectiveness of management’s actions.
Lamba also said he remained confident in the company’s ability to continue creating value for shareholders regardless of the operating environment. For the second quarter of 2026, Linde expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to range between $4.40 and $4.50. The guidance implies growth of 8% to 10% compared with the same period last year, or 7% to 9% excluding an estimated 1% benefit from favorable currency movements.
Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a United Kingdom-based industrial gases and engineering company. It operates through four segments: Americas, EMEA, APAC, and Engineering.
1. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 132
Dividend Yield as of June 24: 0.62%
On June 23, Reuters reported that Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) expects to launch its weight-loss pill in Europe and the UK in the second half of 2026 or early 2027. The company plans to target the out-of-pocket telehealth market, following the same approach it has used in the United States.
At the same time, Lilly intends to continue pursuing public reimbursement from European governments where possible, even as new US drug pricing policies add complexity to discussions with health authorities. Patrik Jonsson, Lilly’s head of international operations, said Europe and the UK are likely to be among the next markets to receive the company’s weight-loss treatment after approvals in the US and the UAE. He noted that Lilly plans to launch the drug as soon as it receives regulatory approval and will use telehealth partnerships and direct-to-patient channels as part of its effort to expand its consumer-focused obesity business beyond the US.
Jonsson also said the company will continue seeking reimbursement through public healthcare systems where available. He acknowledged that the Trump administration’s most-favored-nation pricing policy is expected to play a role in pricing negotiations and future product launches. His comments come at a time when pharmaceutical companies and European governments remain divided over drug pricing and its potential impact on profitability in the US.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is a medicine company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets products through a single business segment focused on human pharmaceutical products.
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