10 Best Dividend Aristocrat Stocks To Buy Now

4. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 80

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has been increasing its dividends without a break since 1963. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) ended the fourth quarter of 2023 with FCF of $18 billion. With about $15 billion invested in R&D and a healthy pipeline, Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) dividend future looks safe. Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) payout ratio stands at just 44%, which shows it’s funneling a lot of resources in business growth.

Insider Monkey’s database of 919 hedge funds updated for Q1’2024 shows that 80 hedge funds had stakes in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) as of the end of March this year.

ClearBridge Large Cap Value Strategy made the following comment about Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) in its Q3 2023 investor letter:

“The health care space provided some opportunities in the quarter, as we increased our exposure to medical device company Becton, Dickinson as well as large cap pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). Johnson & Johnson recently spun out its consumer health care business, becoming a more focused yet broadly diversified pharmaceutical and medtech company.”