These Defensive Stocks Rose

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over daily movements, we do like to keep an eye on market changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis. As if the ongoing uncertainty about the state of the U.S. economic recovery weren't enough, heightened tensions in Syria have investors on edge about the prospect for a potentially costly military conflict in the Middle East, and the destabilizing effect it could have not only on the region, but on global trade generally.

In the face of that uncertainty, investors appeared to prefer stocks that they've traditionally turned to during past times of trouble. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) was the biggest gainer. Consumer-goods giant Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) almost matched Wal-Mart's gain. Finally, AT&T (NYSE: T ) rose half a percent. With so much attention swirling around Verizon's (NYSE: VZ ) potentially taking full control of its Verizon Wireless unit, some analysts have speculated that AT&T might try to take over the shell of current Verizon partner Vodafone after a Verizon Wireless deal takes place. Another way to protect yourself from Dow declines is by focusing on the best dividend stocks.

Source: Motley Fool

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