Alphabet (GOOG +0.32%) isn't exactly a household name, but its main subsidiary, Google, is. Google has a dominant search business, the Android operating system, the Chrome browser, and many other widely used apps. The company also has the Google Cloud business, YouTube, and owns several earlier-stage businesses, most notably the Waymo self-driving car start-up.
Alphabet is a "safe stock" for a few reasons. Its core search business is absolutely dominant, it has a massive market share in digital advertising, and several other platforms (like Android) are the most-used of their kind in the world. Not only that, but Alphabet is a highly profitable business and has tons of cash on its balance sheet.
It's worth noting that as of this writing, Alphabet stock is trading near its all-time high amid investor enthusiasm for its AI-related tailwinds. While Alphabet is certainly a big beneficiary of the AI boom, the stock also trades at a premium right now. It is a business that should be able to weather any storm, but if we get an unexpected slowdown in the AI investment wave, it could make this stock more volatile than some of the others on this list.