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This may sound silly, but companies are like living, breathing people, and employees are like individual cells in the body. Some companies are just fundamentally different and better than their peers because they operate over time. If you want, it's in their DNA. Of course, wealth has ebb and flow, but in general, these powerful companies are still working hard to improve.

This is why only in a bear market, you will tend to buy stocks in Nucor (NYSE:NUE), Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) and Hormel (NYSE:HRL). Let us take a closer look at these companies and why they work so well.

Nucor's long-term success is best reflected in the fact that it has increased its dividend every year for 48 consecutive years. This makes it a dividend aristocrat, a highly elite collection of companies. The fascinating thing here is that Nucor manufactures steel, which is a highly cyclical industry. This makes its dividend record even more impressive. 

So what distinguishes Nucor from its peers? First, the company is financially conservative, and its debt-to-equity ratio is usually at the low end of its peers. This gives it the flexibility to make capital investments in both good and bad markets, which helps ensure that it always becomes a better company.

There is a more fundamental reason for its success, which is technology. The company uses a highly flexible electric arc mill, which can better adapt to market conditions compared to old blast furnaces. Therefore, Nucor's profit margins are often high throughout the business cycle.

Then there is a nuance. Nucor makes extensive use of profit sharing in its compensation structure. This ensures that its employees make more money when the situation is good, and allows Nucor to make breakthroughs in salary when the situation is bad. It also motivates employees to ensure that Nucor is always operating at its best-which really gives it an advantage over its peers.

Nucor is usually not cheap, but when it is cheap, investors should switch jobs. 

Given that Procter & Gamble has increased its dividend every year for 65 consecutive years, its dividend record is even more impressive than that of Nucor. This makes it a bonus king, a club more elite than bonus nobles.

This consumer staples company has gone through tough times, but in the end it always seems to be stronger. Part of the reason is that its products, including toilet paper, razor blades and washing powder, require regular use. In fact, these are almost basic necessities.

However, there is a bigger problem here, because Procter & Gamble usually sells high-priced products. You can easily make transactions and buy store brands of almost all products. However, consumers are not inclined to do so. They buy P&G’s iconic brands and insist on using them for many reasons, including marketing and distribution capabilities.

This is also because the management has been focusing on innovation for a long time to ensure that the products it provides are worthy of customers' shopping carts. The floor mop of the Swiffer brand is a good example. Of course, there are counterfeit products, but P&G basically created product categories and is the dominant name. In other areas such as tissue paper, it is committed to ensuring that Bounty is the highest quality competitor.

Always focusing on the top spot is why P&G maintains its leading position, and it usually trades at a premium. When the market corrects, assuming it takes away the stock, you will need to consider adding it to your portfolio.

YCharts' PG dividend yield data

Hormel broke the norm here because its dividend yield is currently at an all-time high. This shows that investors can get a good price today-and may want to use this opportunity to buy it now. However, if the market falls, it is likely to become cheaper. Please note that, like P&G, Hormel is also the king of dividends.

What makes Hormel unique is its long history of owning and successfully operating iconic food brands, including Spam, Planters and their namesake Hormel products. In fact, food manufacturers may best be seen as brand managers who focus on protein. It has a combination of the number one and number two brands in the category covering the entire grocery store.

With the recent addition of planting machines, it is working with another industry leader to expand its influence in the field of convenience. This is worth noting because Hormel is increasingly adding new brands through acquisitions and then making them better through innovative new products. In addition, it has a direct sales team that supports the food service industry. 

The stock is currently relatively cheap, possibly due to increased inflation and the debt assumed by the acquisition of Planters. But don't be too depressed. Hormel's debt-to-equity ratio is still very reasonable at 0.5, and the company has a history of repaying debt after purchasing a new brand. As for inflation, this is the reality of the food industry, and rising costs are eventually passed on to consumers through price increases.

In other words, if you still want more favorable prices, then put this powerful brand manager on your next wish list for market dislocation and enjoy the benefits of its innovative growth method.

Great companies don’t sell often, so you have to wait for the right time to buy. A market downturn usually provides a good opportunity to invest your money in the best name, because investors are used to throwing babies out with bath water when frightened.

Although Hormel now appears to be discounting, it may still become cheaper during the economic downturn. At the same time, Nucor and Procter & Gamble are great companies currently trading at a premium. But these three should be on the wish list for the next bear market, which is likely to put them all on the Wall Street sales shelf. 

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