Although 2022 was the most challenging year for Wall Street in more than a decade, it was the ageless Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) that ultimately shone brightest. Despite all three major U.S. stock indexes falling into a bear market last year, the Dow's 9% decline was significantly less painful than the 19% drop for the broad-based S&P 500 and 33% plunge by the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite.

The not-so-subtle secret to this outperformance can be found in the Dow's composition. It's comprised of 30 mostly mature multinational companies, many of which pay a dividend. During times of economic uncertainty, they're just the type of stocks investors should want to own.

As we barrel ahead into a new year, the following five Dow stocks stand out as no-brainer buys.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com