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What Are Blue Chip Stocks?

Identifying Blue Chip Stocks

If you want to add blue chip stocks to your investment portfolio, consider the stocks that are included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The Dow is a widely reported market average, and is a collection of thirty industry-leading companies. Many of these companies are household names, such as Wal-Mart, General Electric, Microsoft, and McDonald's. The thirty stocks in the DJIA are carefully selected by the editors of the Wall Street Journal, and in general, they all have stable earnings, excellent credit ratings, and large customer bases. Choosing one or more of the stocks in the DJIA is an easy way to invest in blue chip stocks.

Advantages of Owning Blue Chip Stocks

The main advantage of owning a blue chip stock is that it's the closest thing to a sure thing in the stock market. Blue chip stocks usually provide a return, even if it's just a small uptick in the price when the rest of the stock market is even or down. Many blue chip stocks have a long history of paying dividends, and many of these companies raise their dividend rates regularly.

Disadvantages of Blue Chip Stocks

There are a few disadvantages to blue chip stocks. Their stock prices are more expensive, making it more difficult to build a diversified portfolio. Blue chips will not make you rich quickly; their stock prices do not make large moves in a short period. Even though they are by definition very stable companies, blue chip stocks are not necessarily buy-and-hold forever stocks. Check their performance periodically to ensure that you don't end up with a used-to-be blue chip stock like General Motors in your portfolio.