Stagflation is an ugly mix of low economic growth punctuated by high unemployment. And at the root of it all is inflation. For a long time, many economists believed that stagflation was not possible. However, the 1970s changed that thinking. Not only were U.S. consumers facing high inflation, they were also dealing with high unemployment.
And according to some analysts, history may be getting ready to repeat itself. While economists seem to be split on the probability of a recession, there is growing concern that the United States is entering a period of stagflation. In an effort to combat inflation, the Federal Reserve is pledging to aggressively increase interest rates. There's already evidence of slowing economic growth and waning demand. The next shoe to drop may come in the employment numbers.
This means that investors need to turn their attention to stocks that have the attributes to combat stagflation. This includes companies that have the potential to deliver strong free cash flow. One reason for this is that a healthy cash flow can be applied to reward shareholders with a dividend. And that can boost the total return. Here are seven stocks that can help investors do just that.
Click the "Continue to Slide #1" button to view the first company.
