Fool Poll: Which Blue Chip Will Turn Your Portfolio Green?

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In crazy market times such as these, investors often turn to defensive stocks -- big blue chips that should do well when the economy or the market slips. Here are three very popular ones from CAPS for your consideration:

Altria (NYSE: MO)
For a long time Altria was the ultimate "sin" stock, selling cigarettes the world over. In recent years it's trimmed itself back, having spun off the international cigarette franchise into Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) early this year. It still holds its domestic cigarette business and is planning to add smokeless tobacco via an acquisition of UST (NYSE: UST), though that might be delayed a bit thanks to the current tight credit market. A forward dividend yield of 6.9%, backed by more than $1 billion in free cash flow over the first half of the year, help make the waiting until that happens easier. It carries a best-of-class five-star rating, with 96% of the nearly 7,000 calls going outperform.

General Electric (NYSE: GE)
GE is the conglomerates' conglomerate. Products range from light bulbs to aircraft engines, appliances to television networks. It's even into finance and energy. A 6% dividend yield should be more than safe, with more than $28 billion in trailing free cash flow. A return on equity of more than 18% is matched only by a net margin of 12% -- incredible when you look at the size of the company. Competitor United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) sports a worse net margin of 8%, but a better return on equity of 22%. In CAPS, 93% of the more than 10,400 ratings call for this company to outperform the market.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)
J&J is a pharmaceutical powerhouse selling drugs to treat a wide range of illnesses, just like Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) does, but it's bolstered by a huge consumer products business supplying Band-Aid bandages, Tylenol, and other products to millions of people. Not only that, but it competes in the medical device space, with stents, joints, and implants, among others. These three sections drove more than $63 billion in revenue over the past four quarters, giving up more than $4 in earnings per share -- an 18% net margin. With net debt of only $868 million, trailing free cash flow of more than $11 billion, and a dividend yield of 3%, this company isn't in danger of implosion like some we could name. CAPS members give it a full five-star rating, with 99% of the nearly 9,500 ratings positive.

There's some information for you about three popular blue-chip companies. So which would be best for your portfolio during these hectic times and beyond?

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