As the war involving Iran reshapes global security priorities, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore: drones are now the most disruptive force in modern warfare.
From swarms targeting ships to autonomous surveillance and low-cost aerial attacks, the battlefield is shifting away from traditional weapons toward intelligent, AI-powered systems. Military leaders are now racing to deploy technologies capable of detecting, intercepting, and neutralizing these threats before they overwhelm existing defenses.
That shift could create an enormous opportunity for companies like ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA).
ZENA is developing drone-versus-drone defense systems, AI-driven autonomy platforms, and scalable aerial intelligence networks designed for both commercial and military applications.
With more than 20 acquisitions fueling its Drone-as-a-Service expansion and growing engagement with U.S. defense agencies, ZENA is positioning itself at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and national security. While many drone companies focus only on hardware, ZenaTech is building an ecosystem, combining AI-powered drones, enterprise software, autonomous flight systems, and advanced analytics into a scalable platform.
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With market volatility on many investors’ minds, now may be an opportune time to adopt a more defensive posture. Dividend stocks can be a safer choice in difficult environments, and dividend-growth names stand out—companies with a multi-year history of dividend increases often represent stable businesses that can better withstand external pressures.
Beyond some of the largest names on the Dividend Aristocrats list, investors can find other companies that offer steady, incremental dividend increases and the potential for share-price appreciation. Even if the market sours and shares fall, the dividend trajectory of the companies below provides a compelling reason to consider them for a defensive portfolio.
One of the largest publicly traded companies, Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is well known for its semiconductor business and its positioning in cloud and AI—shares have rallied more than 68% in the last year. Continued demand for Broadcom’s AI hardware may sustain growth: analysts see an additional 37% upside potential even after last year’s gains.
What many investors may not realize is that Broadcom is also a steady dividend payer with 15 consecutive years of dividend increases.
With a dividend yield of 0.82%, Broadcom may not appeal to yield-seeking investors compared with some higher-yield alternatives, but the dividend is a welcome bonus for many shareholders.
AI revenue grew about 60% year-over-year (YOY) over the last year and is likely to accelerate in future earnings reports. Analysts are bullish on AVGO and project roughly 19% earnings growth in the coming year.
Pharmaceutical distributor and medical device company McKesson Corp. (NYSE: MCK) may face difficulty sustaining its share-price gains in the short term. After rising about 53% over the last year, analysts now see roughly 4% downside potential.
A short-term plateau in the stock is unlikely to affect McKesson’s dividend, however. The company has increased its dividend for 17 consecutive years, making it an underappreciated healthcare dividend-growth name. Its dividend yield is modest at 0.33%, but the payout is highly sustainable—McKesson’s dividend payout ratio is only 9.43%.
McKesson’s business is resilient, aided by diversification across oncology, biopharma, multispecialty, and other healthcare segments. In Q3 fiscal 2026 (ended Dec. 31, 2025), oncology revenues rose 37% YOY, contributing to overall revenue growth of 11% over the same period. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) also increased, alongside strong free cash flow and share repurchases.
Management raised guidance for fiscal 2026, forecasting adjusted EPS growth of 17% to 19% YOY and revenue growth of 12% to 16%. Those targets suggest McKesson is likely to continue performing well despite external challenges.
Amphenol Corp. (NYSE: APH), a maker of fiber-optic and other cables, saw its shares mostly stabilize after a decline following its earnings report in early February. Although the company reported earnings and revenue gains, shares dropped after management issued cautious guidance.
Amphenol does not have the uninterrupted dividend-increase history of some peers. It cut its dividend by about 25% in the summer of 2024, breaking a multi-year streak of increases.
However, the company increased its payouts by roughly 50% a year later and now has a dividend yield of 0.74%.
Analysts expect Amphenol’s earnings to grow about 12% in the coming year, and recent results support that view. In the latest quarter, Amphenol beat expectations on earnings and revenue, reporting $6.4 billion in sales, a record $8.4 billion in orders, strong margins, and excellent cash flow.
Written by Nathan Reiff. Article Posted: 3/6/2026.
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