Top Dividend-Paying Stocks And Growth Stocks To Invest In For The Year 2020

With 2020 fast approaching, we are drawn to stocks that will yield good dividends for our investments. Stocks that will probably yield good dividends are those that have currently raised their payouts annually for at least 25 years and we are going to be looking at some.

Abbott Laboratories

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) spun off in 2013 and focused on branded generic drugs, medical devices, nutrition and diagnostic products. Its product list includes the likes of Similac infant formulas, Glucerna diabetes management products and i-Stat diagnostics devices. Its current market value is $148.4 billion with a dividend of 1.5%.

Abbott's earnings are predicted to grow at an average annual clip of 10.2%. The average price target of $93.39 gives ABT an implied upside of nearly 11% over the next 12 months. That's roughly where Morgan Stanley analyst, David Lewis (Overweight, equivalent of Buy) sees Abbott's shares landing in the next 12 months.

Income investors can count on the dividend providing a boost to total returns. ABT's corporate history dates back to 1888, initiated its dividend in 1924. It has been growing that payout annually for 47 consecutive years.

Chevron

Stable oil prices and cost savings are projected to help Chevron (CVX $120.96) put up strong share-price gains in 2020. Its current market value is at $228.6 billion and dividend yield at 3.9%.

The integrated oil company, which operations in natural gas and geothermal energy, was forced to slash spending following the 2014 oil-price rout. But the strategy is paying off now that the environment is steady. Analysts forecast shares to hit $135.04 about 12 months from now, giving Chevron's stock implied upside of nearly 12%.

With more than three decades of uninterrupted dividend growth under its belt, this stock has a track record that instils confidence. Chevron's most recent hike came in January, when the company boosted its quarterly payout by more than 6% to $1.19 per share.

Coca Cola

Coca-Cola (KO $51.71), the thirst-quenching fizzy soft drink has had its stock blossom for years. The company has delivered a quarterly dividend since 1920, and that cash payout has climbed annually for the past 57 years. It has a current market value of $224.1 billion and a dividend yield of 3.1%.

With the U.S. market for carbonated beverages on the decline for more than a decade, Coca-Cola has responded by adding bottled water, fruit juices and teas to its product lineup to keep the cash flowing. Coca-Cola completed its $5.1 billion buyout of London-based coffeehouse chain, Costa Coffee in early 2019, then announced in October that it will launch a new energy-drink line, Coca-Cola Energy, in 2020.

The expanded portfolio of beverages is forecast to allow KO to post revenue growth of nearly 4% in 2020. That should help lift the stock by more than 13%, analysts reckon.

Johnson & Johnson

Health-care giant Johnson & Johnson (JNJ $131.35) recently cut it's previously reported third-quarter earnings by $3 billion to account for a proposed legal settlement over its role in disseminating opioids. That, among other issues, has frustrated shareholders, who have seen their stock appreciate by a mere 2% in the same year the S&P 500 has soared by 23%. The current market value of JNJ is at $345.2 billion and dividend yield at 2.9%.

However, analysts believe that putting this latest legal issues behind it will allow JNJ's stock to take off in 2020. With an average target price of $149.37, the Street expects price appreciation of almost 14% over the next 12 months.

McDonalds

McDonald's (MCD $193.28), has an average target price of $223.57 for the year2020. In other words, analysts are looking for the stock to rise almost 16% over the next 52 weeks. Its current market value is $146.5 billion and a dividend yield of 2.6%.

The world's largest hamburger chain's dividend dates back to 1976 and has gone up every year since. MCD last raised its dividend in September, when it lifted the quarterly payout by 8% to $1.25 a share. That marked its 43rd consecutive annual increase.

Boeing Co

Boeing Co, is an aerospace company that manufactures commercial jetliners and defence, space and security systems. The current stock is $368.1 with a dividend of 1.25%. The stocks have proven resilient despite several assaults from different corners. In recent days, it has had its stocks rising following orders of 50 MAX planes. Several reports have shown that Boeing currently ranks better than the median among analyst picks for the broader S&P 500 index components. The current stock price movement throughout the year shows that Boeing (BA) is showing a gain of 15.6%. This makes Boeing part of best shares to invest in come 2020.

Exxon Mobil Corp.

What goes for Chevron often goes for Exxon Mobil (XOM, $69.37). Its current market value is at $291.2 billion and a dividend yield of 5.0%.

Analysts are forecasting a similar share-price gain in XOM, amid estimates for a 46% jump in adjusted earnings per share in 2020 - a rebound from what's expected to be a weak 2019.

Exxon and its various predecessors have strung together uninterrupted payouts since 1882, that's a whole 37 years.