5 Top Stocks to Buy Now for April 2026

2. Procter & Gamble (PG)

3. Medtronic PLC (MDT)

4. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX)

5. Church & Dwight (CHD)

Defensive plays are the best stocks to buy now for April of 2026. Why? Because three major stock indexes have lost value this year, the U.S. is involved in an expanding war in the Middle East and high oil prices have experts worried about inflation and recession.

You can take chances when the economy is humming and the stock market outlook is strong. But when the road ahead is unclear, low-volatility stocks are the heroes that protect your wealth. Choose the right ones and they also deliver good total returns.

5 Top Stocks to Buy Now for April 2026

To identify reliable defensive stocks with total return potential I filtered public equities on sector, sales and cash flow growth, and dividend performance. Here are the screening metrics I used:

Operating in health care, consumer staples, or utilities

Debt-to-equity of less than 1

Positive, three-year free cash flow and revenue growth

10 or more years of dividend growth

Strong buy and buy ratings from analysts

Five-year beta of less than 0.75

The largest companies meeting these parameters are shown in the table below, which includes Procter & Gamble, of which I’m a long-time shareholder.

A closer look at each company follows. Bulleted metrics are sourced from StockAnalysis.com. For more investing ideas, see best index funds 2026 and best dividend stocks.

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Walmart by the numbers:

Trailing 12-month (TTM) revenue: 0.64

Three-year free cash flow growth: 7.6%

Three-year revenue growth: 5.3%

Dividend growth years: 53

Walmart Business Overview

Walmart is a global retailer operating the Walmart and Sam’s Club chains in the U.S. and internationally. The company generates $120 billion annually from ecommerce sales and runs a growing advertising business called Walmart Connect.

Why WMT Stock Is A Top Choice

Walmart operates two recognized global brands that generate a diverse and growing revenue base. The company offers an interesting exposure mix for investors: You get the stable demand of a discount retailer with upside from tech-driven ecommerce and high-margin advertising.

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Walmart’s dividend performance is noteworthy. The company has increased its shareholder payout for more than 50 consecutive years. The yield is low at 0.7%, but for a good reason—WMT’s stock price has gained 48% over the past year.

For the last fourth quarter, Walmart reported 5.6% revenue growth over the prior-year quarter, supported by double-digit gains at both retail chains and in ecommerce and advertising. Operating income grew 10.8%.

2. Procter & Gamble (PG)

Procter & Gamble by the numbers:

Three-year free cash flow growth: 8.7%

Three-year revenue growth: 2.0%

Dividend growth years: 69

Procter & Gamble Business Overview

Procter & Gamble makes and sells daily-use products in the personal care, health care, beauty, grooming and home care categories. The company’s portfolio includes many recognized brands including Tide, Pampers, Charmin and Tampax. Innovative product development, supply chain optimization and tech-driven productivity gains are strategic priorities.

Why PG Stock Is A Top Choice

Procter & Gamble has long been considered a premium defensive stock. Its portfolio of essential products has supported profits and dividends through many recessions and economic crises. The stock price has been challenged in recent months, however. PG is down 9.4% over the past year as fierce competition and a difficult spending environment have eroded growth and margins.

Last June, PG announced a major restructuring to streamline operations, enhance productivity and better support core brands Tide, Pampers and Old Spice. PG’s last earnings release reported 110 basis points of productivity savings in core selling, general, and administrative expenses and 270 basis points of gross productivity savings in core operating expenses.

Other highlights from the second quarter of fiscal 2026 included a 1% revenue gain over the prior year and operating cash flow of $5 billion. The company spent $2.3 billion on share repurchases and $2.5 billion on dividend payments. Diluted net EPS declined 5%. The company said it was on track to produce stronger results in the second half of the year.

3. Medtronic PLC (MDT)

Medtronic PLC by the numbers:

Three-year free cash flow growth: 9.1%

Three-year revenue growth: 4.9%

Dividend growth years: 50

Medtronic PLC Business Overview

Medtronic PLC makes and sells a range of surgical instruments and medical devices. Its products address more than 70 health conditions across four focus areas: diabetes, cardiovascular, medical surgical and neuroscience.

Technology is a competitive differentiator for Medtronic. The company uses AI, robotics, analytics and predictive modeling to create new solutions that improve the speed and accuracy of health care.

Why MDT Stock Is A Top Choice

Medtronic has revenue diversity and a solid product development pipeline in high-growth areas like robotic-assisted surgery. While the company doesn’t normally produce jaw-dropping growth rates, it has been reliable and consistent enough to support nearly 50 years of annual dividend increases.

The company is in the process of spinning off its diabetes unit into a standalone operation. The transaction separates Medtronic’s only direct-to-consumer unit, leaving the core business to focus on higher-margin business sales. The legacy Medtronic business will be more focused and profitable as a result. Medtronic initially estimated the spin-off would increase its gross and operating margins by 50 basis points and 100 basis points, respectively. The separation should be complete this year.

For the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, Medtronic reported $9 billion in revenue, up 8.7% from the prior-year quarter. Adjusted diluted EPS declined 2.2% but was above the midpoint of the expected range for the quarter.

4. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX)

Becton, Dickinson and Company by the numbers:

Three-year free cash flow growth: 24.6%

Three-year revenue growth: 5.4%

Dividend growth years: 54

Becton, Dickinson and Company Business Overview (H3)

Becton, Dickinson and Company makes medical supplies, devices, lab equipment and diagnostic tools for sale to health care providers, labs, researchers and consumers around the world. The company is organized into four reporting segments: Medical Essentials, Connected Care, BioPharma Systems, and Interventional.

Why BDX Stock Is A Top Choice

BDX stock is down 29% over the last year, in part because of a softening outlook. The company projected low single-digit revenue growth for the current fiscal year, and analysts responded by lowering their price targets. The stock-price decline was warranted, but investors may have oversold. The current average price target is 17.3% than the BDX trading price.

Despite the unimpressive outlook for this year, BDX remains a solid dividend payer with a large and diverse business. The 2.6% yield is respectable, and 50-plus years of consecutive annual dividend increases speaks to the predictability of the business model.

BDX did beat earnings expectations in its last reported quarter by nearly 4%. Revenues of $5.2 billion were up 1.6% over the prior-year quarter. Margin improvements drove a diluted EPS gain of 28.8%.

5. Church & Dwight (CHD)

Church & Dwight by the numbers:

Three-year free cash flow growth: 15.7%

Three-year revenue growth: 4.9%

Dividend growth years: 30

Church & Dwight Business Overview

Church & Dwight sells consumer packaged goods in the U.S. and internationally under recognized brand names including Arm & Hammer, Nair, Orajel, Oxiclean and Zicam. The company also produces sodium bicarbonate for use in industrial, institutional, medical and specialty cleaning applications.

Why CHD Stock Is A Top Choice

Church & Dwight is a competitor to PG, operating firmly in the consumer staples space. The company’s strategy involves incremental product upgrades rather than big, splashy launches. The approach supported market share gains in four of CHD’s largest eight brands in the last reported quarter.

Several analysts believe in the strategy, too. Since the company’s last earnings release, JP Morgan and Raymond James have upgraded their rating on CHD and at least nine analysts have raised their price targets.

In 2025, Church & Dwight delivered 1.6% net sales growth despite exiting four underperforming brands. The company’s adjusted EPS of $3.53 was 2.6% higher than the prior-year result.

In investing, good defense enables a strong offence. Evaluate your defensive holdings now and add to them if needed. With a stable base, you are better prepared to withstand volatility in your growth positions if the economy goes sideways.

© Forbes