3 Stocks to Build Your Portfolio Around

Every portfolio should be built around some strong pillars, stocks that provide stability and will be staples for many years to come. With such a framework in place, investors can afford to take on more risks with other companies, knowing they have safe stocks to rely on that can generate good returns for their portfolios.

The companies listed below -- Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), Home Depot (NYSE: HD), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) -- offer not only stability but dividends, and together, they can help diversify your portfolio. Let's take a closer look at each individual stock to see why it's a solid investment to hold in your portfolio for many years.

Eli Lilly's diverse product mix means its products help a variety of different patients. Its drugs treat people with serious illnesses such as diabetes and cancer, and while it does have a top drug (Trulicity, which treats diabetes), it isn't overly reliant on it. In 2019, the drug's sales totaled $4.1 billion, less than one-fifth of Eli Lilly's total sales.

Source Fool.com