No single stock is perfect in every possible way. Dividend payments made to shareholders could be instead be invested in growth. Companies that do exceedingly well in periods of economic strength usually struggle during an economic contraction. Picking stocks is ultimately about managing trade-offs.
If there was only one near-perfect pick for retirees, however, it would arguably be Procter & Gamble
Not ready at the time
Anyone reading this likely knows Procter & Gamble is the name behind popular consumer goods such as Tide laundry detergent and Bounty paper towels. What they may not fully appreciate is the full breadth and depth of P&G’s portfolio. Crest toothpaste, Pepto-Bismol, Febreze, Old Spice, Gillette, and Pampers are also part of the Procter family.
These are all goods people constantly consume and replenish, often buying the same brand over and over again.
Those who know Procter & Gamble’s recent history also know, however, that the company didn’t quite keep its finger on the pulse of consumerism early on in the 21st century. The world wide web democratized pricing, promoting, and eventually, purchasing, giving rise to niche competitors that took a competitive toll. Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s, for example, ate into Gillette’s market share by circumventing the retailers that Procter & Gamble continued to cultivate after it acquired the Gillette brand in 2005.
