Procter & Gamble owns a portfolio of everyday consumer brands that includes Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Oral-B and Head & Shoulders. The company focuses on daily-use categories where superior products can command premium prices, backed by some of the largest advertising budgets in the industry. Founded in Cincinnati in 1837, P&G streamlined its brand lineup years ago to concentrate on its strongest franchises. Reliable cash generation and a dividend raised annually for decades make it a classic defensive holding.