In this article, we will take a look at the Early Retirement Portfolio: Top 15 Stocks to Buy. 

On April 2, CNBC reported that while stocks often provide strong long-term growth despite short-term swings, a prolonged market downturn close to retirement can create real challenges.

If investors need to draw from their portfolios when prices are low, it can reduce how long their savings last. Mike Casey, founder and president of AE Advisors, explained that this can have lasting effects on retirement outcomes. This happens “by forcing investors to sell depressed assets and reducing the capital base available for recovery,” Casey said.

The issue is known as the sequence of returns risk. It refers to how the timing of gains and losses can affect a portfolio, especially when withdrawals begin. For long-term investors, the impact is usually less severe. Those who are still years or decades away from retirement have more time to recover from market declines before relying on their investments for income.

Frank Maltais of Fidelity Investments noted that for these investors, “the sequence of returns risk isn’t such a big deal.” He further made the following comment:

“If you retire into a poor market, that can diminish your nest egg over time, especially if you don’t scale down your withdrawals during that declining market. On the other hand, if you have a strong market early in retirement, that can really put the wind at your back.”

Given this, we will take a look at the best stocks for a retirement stock portfolio.

Our Methodology:

We employed a screener to select dividend stocks for this list that are suitable for a retirement stock portfolio, as they are diversified across multiple industries and have demonstrated robust and consistent payout policies. The stocks are ranked according to hedge funds having stakes in them as per Insider Monkey’s Q4 2025. We limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment.

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).

15. Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42

On April 1, Wells Fargo analyst Joseph O’Dea lowered the firm’s price recommendation on Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) to $135 from $160. It reiterated an Equal Weight rating on the shares. He noted that the Middle East conflict did not lead to a noticeable increase in caution during most of the firm’s catch-up calls. Still, he pointed out a familiar pattern. Last year, tariffs held back a recovery in PMI. Now, Wells sees a similar risk, where a new layer of uncertainty could weigh on sentiment until there is a clearer direction.

On March 31, Jefferies analyst Stephen Volkmann upgraded Emerson to Buy from Hold and raised the price target to $175 from $160 after taking over coverage of the stock. The firm said the company’s “strong” order momentum is expected to drive faster earnings growth. It sees growth moving from low single-digits in the first half of the year to low-double-digits by the time fiscal 2026 ends. The analyst also pointed to improving margins, noting that this trend should support higher valuation multiples, as stated in the research note.

Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) operates as a global technology and software company. It provides solutions across a wide range of end markets worldwide. The business is structured into seven segments, grouped under two main divisions: Intelligent Devices and Software and Control.

14. Pentair plc (NYSE:PNR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48

On April 14, Stifel lowered the firm’s price recommendation on Pentair plc (NYSE:PNR) to $110 from $126. It maintained a Buy rating on the shares. The firm said Q1 earnings season is likely to “provide few surprises or guidance changes to act as catalysts” for its flow control and multi-industry coverage. That view came as part of its preview for the group.

On April 13, Citi also lowered its price goal on Pentair, bringing it down to $112 from $120, while maintaining a Buy rating. The adjustment was part of a broader Q1 preview across the industrials group. Citi said “gradually improving” industrial trends are still in place and should support solid Q1 earnings for most names in the sector.

During its Q4 2025 earnings call, Pentair shared its outlook for 2026. The company expects adjusted EPS to fall in the range of $5.25 to $5.40, which points to an increase of about 8% at the midpoint. It also expects overall sales to grow around 3% to 4%, with adjusted operating income rising between 5% and 8%.

Looking at the segments, the company expects Flow sales to grow at a mid- to high-single-digit pace. Water Solutions sales are likely to stay flat overall, though core growth is projected in the low single digits. Pool sales are expected to rise by about 3%. For the near term, Pentair expects Q1 2026 sales to grow roughly 1% to 2%. Adjusted EPS for the quarter is projected between $1.15 and $1.18, reflecting growth of around 4% to 6%. The company also outlined costs and external factors. It is targeting about $70 million in transformation savings in 2026, net of investments. At the same time, tariffs are expected to create an incremental headwind of around $30 million for the year, with most of the impact in the first quarter. Pentair plans to offset this through pricing actions and other mitigation efforts.

Pentair plc (NYSE:PNR) provides a broad range of smart and sustainable water solutions for homes, businesses, and industries worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Flow, Water Solutions, and Pool.