McDonald’s Corporation (MCD), Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): Should You Sell in May and Go Away?

The company reported solid full-year 2012 results. Revenue increased more than 3% year over year, and diluted earnings per share clocked in at $3.86, representing an increase of more than 10% versus the prior year. In April 2012, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) provided investors with a 7% dividend increase to its current level of $2.44 per share.  Amazingly, this marked the 50^th consecutive year of a dividend increase.

Don’t be foolish, be Foolish instead

Investors interested not in flipping stocks for quick gains, but rather in building wealth over the long term, likely realize the foolishness of the “sell in May and go away” adage. Timing the market for any period of time is rarely a wise idea. Unfortunately, none of us has the ability to see the future, despite what we’d all like to believe.

Betting on the direction the market will take is a coin-flip proposition. If fifty-fifty is the best hope an investor can dream of, they might as well take their cash to the roulette table at the local casino and put it all on red.

Stocks such as the ones here have proven track records of producing increasing sales and profits over time. In addition, they consistently reward investors with generous dividend yields, a slow-and-steady way of building sustainable wealth over long periods of time.

Advice that calls for investors to hurriedly sell their stocks for one month should not be taken seriously by anybody. Investors interested in successfully planning for their financial futures should continue to invest in companies such as McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), that comprise some of America’s best stocks.

The article Should You Sell in May and Go Away? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Robert Ciura.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.