Although the stock market has been in “go” mode during the past three years, 2026 is proving to be another story. The threat of rising inflation, a weak jobs market, and war in the Middle East are taking a toll on the market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are both in the red so far in March. Just as telling, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index, commonly known as the fear index, has climbed almost 80% since the beginning of the year.
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In times like these, it’s natural to be concerned, and even to consider taking money out of the stock market in search of safe assets, such as gold or bonds. But I think that’s a mistake. First, if you’re a long-term investor, you could potentially run up a big tax bill by closing positions where you’ve had significant gains.
Second, history shows us that the stock market is a consistent winner over time. Although short-term dips are inevitable, the market has historically rebounded and moved higher. Panicking now would deprive you of the opportunity to profit from the recovery.
Instead, I think this is an ideal time to consider some tried-and-true investments. Blue chip stocks are those that have a long history of profitability and stability. These companies are most often market leaders, offer well-known products or services, and are often generous in returning money to shareholders through stock buybacks or dividends.
Here are three ideal choices in today’s market that cover three pillars of the economy: Finance, energy, and technology.
North Carolina-based Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) isn’t the biggest bank in the U.S. (JPMorgan Chase gets that title), but it’s a mammoth banking institution, nonetheless. Bank of America has more than 3,600 banking locations and 15,000 ATMs. Customers are increasingly connecting online, with 25 million active Zelle users who sent and received 474 million transactions in the fourth quarter, up 12% from a year ago.
Bank of America offers consumer, business, and wealth management services, all of which are major revenue drivers. The bank’s consumer banking segment generated net income of $3.3 billion and revenue of $11.2 billion in Q4, up 5% from a year ago. Its wealth management segment brought in another $6.6 billion in revenue and net income of $1.4 billion. Its global banking and global markets segments accounted for more than $3.1 billion in revenue.
