It has to be said, Ive never been one to crave the next big gadget, or to follow the crowd when it comes to following particular trends. But if I was to buy myself a stock as a long-overdue Christmas present to myself, I struggle to look further than one of the most popular among Fools and other investors alike GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) (NYSE: GSK.US).
Yes, as its a gift to myself I could have speculated a little and moved for a slightly sexier small-cap growth stock, but theres one thing that the pharma giant can offer my portfolio that most of my other holdings cant: a great dividend. Since 2009, the dividend yield has hovered somewhere between 4.6% and 5.5%, with last years coming in at a very respectable 4.8%.
Now could be a good time to buy, too, in terms of the share price. It may have seen a steady rise to just under 1,500 since its October low of 1,324, but overall, the price is still down nearly 6% over the last 6 months. I could even consider that to be an early January bargain.
A solid dividend payer like GlaxoSmithKline is always a fine choice to hold in a retirement portfolio. And this fact is backed up by top Motley Fool analysts, as it features in their blockbuster guide “The Fool’s 5 Shares To Retire On”. To see the other 4 stocks they see as retirement stalwarts, click here to download it. What’s more, it’s totally FREE!
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Chris Nials has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended GlaxoSmithKline. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
