Inflation and rising interest rates are making it more difficult than ever to save for retirement. But it's important to try to put some money aside for the long haul. According to an Ipsos poll earlier this year, one in five Americans don't think they will ever be able to retire. Most of those respondents don't think they'll be able to afford it.
Investing in the stock market can enhance your financial position in the long run. And some stocks are safe options. Three stocks that can provide long-term stability, pay dividends, and help grow your retirement savings are Procter & Gamble (PG +0.33%), Oracle (ORCL +3.52%), and CVS Health (CVS 1.20%).
1. Procter & Gamble
Consumer goods behemoth Procter & Gamble is known for its products that people use every day. Tide, Bounty, and Gillette are some of its brands. Strong brands can help make a company's business resilient because demand is relatively consistent. Coming out with new variations on successful products can be a way for a business to drive more revenue growth.
NYSE: PG
Key Data Points
In October, Procter & Gamble once again demonstrated strong numbers with its quarterly net sales (for the period ended Sept. 30) rising by 6% to $21.9 billion, better than Wall Street estimates. Adjusted per-share profits of $1.83 were also higher than the $1.72 that analysts were expecting. The company has been able to pass on rising costs to consumers, and that has helped its top line grow.
It's a strategy that may not be successful in the long run, but that pricing power is an example of why Procter & Gamble has such a strong business. The company has also reported strong profit margins of approximately 18% over the past year, and the stock pays a dividend of 2.5%, which is higher than the S&P 500 average of 1.7%.
Pricing power, high profit margins, and a great dividend are three excellent reasons for investors to feel comfortable holding on to this stock for years.
2. Oracle
Oracle is a big name in cloud computing and databases. And as companies crave more data analysis and data storage, Oracle can benefit.
The company also offers investors a great way to invest in artificial intelligence (AI). Earlier this year, the company's CEO, Safra Catz, said Oracle was "seeing unprecedented demand for our cloud services and especially our AI services." The company has been investing billions of dollars in Nvidia's chips to expand its cloud computing business to better meet the needs of AI companies.
NYSE: ORCL
Key Data Points
For the company's most recent period, which ended on Aug. 31, Oracle reported 9% revenue growth, with its top line coming in at a little under $12.5 billion. While this growth rate may seem modest, the company said its cloud infrastructure revenue grew at a rate of 66% during the period and was faster than the growth its competitors achieved.
Oracle's profit margins are solid at 18% of sales, and it pays a dividend yield of 1.6%. The tech stock provides investors with a relatively safe way to invest in AI and cloud computing for the long haul.
3. CVS Health
CVS Health is another business well worth considering for a long-term portfolio. The pharmacy chain has entrenched itself more deeply into healthcare over the years, and that has made it more diversified. In addition to its pharmacy business, CVS has health insurance operations through Aetna, it has gotten into home health with its recent acquisition of Signify Health, and it's also looking to be a big player in primary care; it acquired Oak Street Health earlier this year.
NYSE: CVS
Key Data Points
The company is in the midst of integrating its recent acquisitions into the fold, so its financials should improve as that happens. CVS' margins are leaner than those of the other two stocks on this list, as normally the healthcare company's profit margin is no more than a few percentage points of revenue. But with more than $300 billion in annual revenue, that's still enough to generate plenty in profit and is sufficient to support its dividend, which yields 3.6%.
For investors who want a relatively safe way to invest in healthcare, CVS is a great choice. Trading at only 8 times its estimated future profits, the healthcare stock could be a steal.
