These dividend stocks can insulate investors from AI risk, says Jenny Harrington
Investors looking to insulate themselves from artificial intelligence risks may want to consider certain dividend stocks, according to investor Jenny Harrington. In fact, dividend payers have been outperforming so far this year as investors rotate from large cap names into “old economy” stocks, she said. The iShares Select Dividend ETF is up nearly 11% year to date and the Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF has gained about 15%. The S & P 500, on the other hand, is essentially flat. DVY 1Y mountain iShares Select Dividend ETF one year performance Investors are now realizing that the performance and valuation divergences between big tech and old economy stocks became “irrationally wide” and are rebalancing their portfolios, said Harrington, CEO of Gilman Hill Asset Management. On top of tech’s large valuations, some sectors of the market are being hit over fears of disruption by artificial intelligence. For instance, software stocks tanked earlier this month after Anthropic’s latest AI model appeared to be able to allow businesses to do legal work and build programs for which they would otherwise pay an expensive license. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF dropped nearly 23% so far this year. Harrington’s stock picks In this environment, Harrington is looking for names that she believes won’t be disrupted by or destroyed by AI. “Even if people lose jobs en masse, they’re still buying toilet paper and diapers,” she said. In fact, one of her top picks is Kimberly-Clark , which makes Huggies and Cottonelle. The stock, which has gained more than 7% year to date, has a 4.66% dividend yield. The consumer goods company has paid a dividend for 92 years and has raised it for 54 years, Harrington noted. The stock is trading at about 14.5 times earnings, she said. While earnings growth has been minimal, Harrington expects a pick up once the benefits of the Kenvue acquisition become clear. KMB 1Y mountain Kimberly-Clark one year performance Kimberly-Clark announced in November it agreed to buy the Tylenol maker for $48.7 billion. In September, Tylenol came under scrutiny by the Trump administration, which made unfounded claims linking the use of the medicine’s active ingredient during pregnancy to autism. “You’re going to have this merger, you’re going to have what dragged both those stocks down fade, and you’re going to have a really creative, better, substantial business come out of it,” Harrington said. Another name Harrington finds attractive is Vici Properties , the real estate investment trust that rents to Las Vegas casinos such as Caesars Palace , MGM Grand and the Venetian Resort. The stock pays a 6.06% dividend yield. The company is a triple net lease REIT, which means the tenants pay all operating expenses such as taxes, improvements and maintenance. It trades at 12 times funds from operations, she noted. “What you have here are very high quality assets,” Harrington said. VICI 1Y mountain Vici Properties one year performance The tenants, which have leases for multiple decades, have been through long economic downturns before and know how to get through them, she said. “Even if there is massive AI disruption, I don’t think it’s permanent. I don’t think there’s 30 years of demise ahead of us,” she said. “I think it’s like five years while people figure out, ‘OK, my job is no longer viable, now I find a new one.'” The company has earnings growth of about 9% and will likely increase its dividend in line with that growth, Harrington said. Unilever is also a name on her list. The global consumer staples company sells everything from food to personal care to household products and includes brands like Hellmann’s and Vaseline. The stock trades at 17 times earnings, she said. “Because it’s located outside of the U.S., it trades at a discount to its peer, Procter & Gamble, which trades at 20 and a half times,” Harrington said. UL 1Y mountain One year performance of U.S.-listed shares of Unilever International stocks, which have been outperforming, had been trading at a massive historical valuation discount. “You see that valuation gap closing,” she said. “There’s still room to close on that.” Harrington also likes Enterprise Products Partners , which provides midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, among others. The company has a conservative balance sheet and durable volume and export growth optionality, she said. The stock yields 6.09% and has gained 13% year to date. An Exclusive Invitation: CNBC Pro Live — Wealth for Women : As a valued CNBC Pro subscriber, you’re invited to join us for an exclusive, live, in-person event on May 28 at the NASDAQ MarketSite designed specifically for serious investors who demand more than surface-level market commentary. Tickets are limited, and as a CNBC Pro subscriber, you have exclusive access to a special discount.
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