Don't Give Up on Dividend Stocks

The whole-grain goodness of blue-chip dividend stocks has its limits. Utility stocks, consumer staples, pipelines, telecoms, and REITs have all lost ground over the past month, even while the broader market has been flat. With the bond market signaling an expectation of rising interest rates, the five-year rally for steady blue-chip dividend payers has stalled. Should you be scared if you own a lot of these stocks, either directly or through mutual funds or ETFs?

David Baskin, president of Baskin Financial Services, has a two-pronged answer: Keep your top-quality dividend stocks, but be prepared to follow his firm's example in trimming holdings. Dividend stocks have had an amazing run in the past few years, and far outperformed the broader stock market. They've helped investors panicked by the 2008-2009 crash make friends with stocks again.

Source: Minyanville

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