Fortune 40: The best stocks to retire on

After a bleak 2008, equities are looking up. But whatever the market, our trademark long-term portfolio can help you build a nest egg for a secure future.

• How we picked them
• Last year's Fortune 40

Abbott Laboratories is nothing if not consistent. The pharmaceuticals and medical technologies giant has steadily increased dividends for more than a decade. Abbott achieved 16% earnings growth last quarter and boosted its dividend by 11%, but it's now trading at just 13 times earnings, compared with 19 times earnings one year ago. That's still a slight premium to its industry, but Abbott deserves it -- the stock has returned 4% over the last five years, vs. an average of 0.2%.

Investors balked when Abbott announced slowing sales of its blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug, Humira, but prescriptions have since rebounded. "We continue to have a high degree of confidence in management's ability to achieve the recently revised 2009 guidance of 15-20% growth for the drug," noted Cowen & Co. analyst Sara Michelmore in a recent report. "With the shares discounting a significant slowdown for Humira, we believe the risk/reward is attractive at these levels."

--Mina Kimes