These stocks look like they can weather almost any storm.

We've seen several investing trends sweep through Wall Street in recent years, from excitement about the cannabis market to the artificial intelligence (AI) industry that's now dominating headlines. Some of these opportunities turned out to be major disappointments, while others were major moneymakers.

Although there's nothing wrong with looking to capitalize on new high-growth industries, it's also worth implementing time-tested strategies such as investing in dividend stocks -- that's one investment style that will never die.

And if you're looking for top dividend-paying companies to put your money in right now, let's consider two excellent candidates: Apple ( AAPL -0.55% ) and Novartis ( NVS 1.70% ) .

1. Apple

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