g class="alignleft" src="https://www.marketbeat.com/logos/articles/small_Depositphotos_4160484_S.jpg" alt="3 Defensive Dividend Stocks to Buy Now" width="660" height="933" />The old adage “the best defense is a good offense” can be applied to the stock market, particularly when equities are hitting lower prices with every passing day as the corrective phase continues. While it's not easy to be aggressive during a sharp pullback, adding shares of companies with defensive qualities can be a strong approach given how they tend to hold up well in almost any market environment. What’s also attractive about these types of stocks is that they often pay dividends, deliver consistent earnings, and have products and services that are in demand in almost any economy. Before you consider Costco Wholesale, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Costco Wholesale wasn't on the list.
While Costco Wholesale currently has a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.