Although the stock market has been in “go” mode during the past three years, 2026 is proving to be another story. The threat of rising inflation, a weak jobs market, and war in the Middle East are taking a toll on the market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are both in the red so far in March. Just as telling, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index, commonly known as the fear index, has climbed almost 80% since the beginning of the year.
In times like these, it’s natural to be concerned, and even to consider taking money out of the stock market in search of safe assets, such as gold or bonds. But I think that’s a mistake. First, if you’re a long-term investor, you could potentially run up a big tax bill by closing positions where you’ve had significant gains.
Second, history shows us that the stock market is a consistent winner over time. Although short-term dips are inevitable, the market has historically rebounded and moved higher. Panicking now would deprive you of the opportunity to profit from the recovery.
Image source: Getty Images.
Instead, I think this is an ideal time to consider some tried-and-true investments. Blue chip stocks are those that have a long history of profitability and stability. These companies are most often market leaders, offer well-known products or services, and are often generous in returning money to shareholders through stock buybacks or dividends.
Here are three ideal choices in today’s market that cover three pillars of the economy: Finance, energy, and technology.
The finance pick: Bank of America
North Carolina-based Bank of America (BAC 0.87%) isn’t the biggest bank in the U.S. (JPMorgan Chase gets that title), but it’s a mammoth banking institution, nonetheless. Bank of America has more than 3,600 banking locations and 15,000 ATMs. Customers are increasingly connecting online, with 25 million active Zelle users who sent and received 474 million transactions in the fourth quarter, up 12% from a year ago.
Bank of America offers consumer, business, and wealth management services, all of which are major revenue drivers. The bank’s consumer banking segment generated net income of $3.3 billion and revenue of $11.2 billion in Q4, up 5% from a year ago. Its wealth management segment brought in another $6.6 billion in revenue and net income of $1.4 billion. Its global banking and global markets segments accounted for more than $3.1 billion in revenue.
Bank of America has increased its dividend annually for the past 12 years, and currently provides a yield of 2.3%.
Today’s Change
(-0.87%) $-0.41
Current Price
$46.72
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$335B
Day’s Range
$46.66 – $47.82
52wk Range
$33.06 – $57.55
Volume
45M
Avg Vol
41M
Dividend Yield
2.35%
The energy pick: ExxonMobil
Nothing says “blue chip energy stock” like ExxonMobil (XOM +1.86%). The integrated oil and gas company has vast operations that include its upstream production, midstream pipelines, and downstream chemical and refining.
The size of ExxonMobil’s business means that it can generate huge profits for its shareholders. Cash flow from operations in 2025 was $52 billion, which allowed ExxonMobil to deliver $28.8 billion in earnings. It posted free cash flow of $26.1 billion for the year, while it returned $37.2 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends.
ExxonMobil increased its dividend by 4% in December and has raised its dividend annually for the past 43 years. The payout currently offers a yield of 2.7%.
Today’s Change
(1.86%) $2.85
Current Price
$156.38
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$651B
Day’s Range
$153.00 – $156.89
52wk Range
$97.80 – $159.60
Volume
871K
Avg Vol
20M
Gross Margin
21.56%
Dividend Yield
2.59%
The technology pick: Alphabet
Alphabet (GOOG 0.58%) (GOOGL 0.42%) only recently became a dividend stock, having declared its first dividend in April 2024. The payout’s current yield of 0.3% pales compared to others on this list. But I consider Alphabet a modern blue chip stock, given its enormously popular businesses, its huge revenue and profit streams, its dominant market position, and the company’s newfound commitment to dividends.
Alphabet’s Chrome browser and Google search engine are market share leaders. According to financial research firm MoffettNathanson, the company’s YouTube video platform generated $62 billion in 2025, which moved it past Walt Disney to become the world’s largest media company.
Today’s Change
(-0.42%) $-1.28
Current Price
$302.27
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$3.7T
Day’s Range
$300.45 – $307.82
52wk Range
$140.53 – $349.00
Volume
995K
Avg Vol
33M
Gross Margin
59.68%
Dividend Yield
0.28%
Revenue in 2025 was $402.8 billion, up 15% from 2024, and net income of $132.1 billion rose 32% from a year ago. The company’s free cash flow in the trailing 12 months is a whopping $73.2 billion.
Alphabet is investing heavily in expanding its Google Cloud computing segment. But its hugely successful advertising business, powered by its internet dominance and YouTube, provides it with significant advantages that will allow it to become an emerging dividend stock that investors can count on for the long term.
