Context is everything. For more than a year now, a handful of companies – some of which don't pay a dividend – have fueled gains in the stock market, leaving funds that don't hold those companies behind.
That goes a long way to explain why the T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth Fund (PRDGX) – a member of the Kiplinger 25, our favorite no-load mutual funds – has lagged the S&P 500 over the past 12 months.
The fund owns Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL), but not Nvidia (NVDA), Alphabet (GOOGL) or Meta Platforms (META), three of the biggest gainers over the past year. "It's been a tough relative period for anyone who's an income-oriented investor," says the fund's manager, Tom Huber. "But on an absolute basis, the fund has done well." Dividend Growth has gained 16.3% over the past 12 months; the S&P 500, 21.5%.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Increasing dividends matter more than yield at this fund. Huber favors large, competitively positioned firms that generate cash and have a goal to increase payouts over time. The fund's overall average dividend growth rate, 9.8% over the past 12 months, exceeds that of the S&P 500, which typically ranges between 5% and 7%, says Huber.
High interest rates have also been a hurdle for this dividend-stock fund; investors can earn fatter yields in money market funds. But rates are likely to fall in the coming months, which may turn investor attention toward dividend stocks again, says Huber.
Meanwhile, Huber is nibbling in discounted sectors, including consumer staples, energy and healthcare. Coca-Cola (KO) is a "quality company," he says, "that trades at a price-earnings multiple you haven't seen in a really long time."
And since the collapse of oil prices during COVID, many energy stocks, including Conoco-Phillips (COP), yielding 2.9%, and Exxon Mobil (XOM), yielding 3.2%, have become smarter about how they spend their extra cash. He's also a fan of discount retailer Dollar General (DG), which is benefiting from consumers seeking relief from higher prices.
Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.
Related content
-
Will My Children Inherit Too Much?If you worry about how your children will handle an inheritance, you're not alone. Luckily, you have options — from lifetime gifting to trusts — that can help.
-
Charitable Giving Lessons From Netflix's 'Apple Cider Vinegar'Charity fraud is rife, and a Netflix series provides a timely warning about donating money to a good cause without looking into its background.
-
Will My Children Inherit Too Much?
If you worry about how your children will handle an inheritance, you're not alone. Luckily, you have options — from lifetime gifting to trusts — that can help.
-
Charitable Giving Lessons From Netflix's 'Apple Cider Vinegar'
Charity fraud is rife, and a Netflix series provides a timely warning about donating money to a good cause without looking into its background.
-
What Happens To Mortgage and Savings Rates If Trump Fires Jerome Powell?President Donald Trump expressed his desire to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell. If the president is successful, how would it impact your savings accounts?
-
Why You Need a Trusted Contact for Your BrokerageYour brokerage or bank needs someone to reach out to if it's concerned you're experiencing fraud or cognitive decline. That's where a trusted contact can help.
-
Four Takeaways From Filing Your Taxes to Boost Your Financial FutureNow that another tax season is in the rearview mirror for most of us, what lessons can you take from what you learned about your finances to plan for the future?
-
What Claims Adjusters Are Thinking vs What They're SayingAfter a natural disaster, few of us are at our best, but here's what to keep in mind when you're interacting with your insurance company's claims adjuster.
-
Looking to Make a Job Change? How to Stand Out Like a ProTo make a strong first impression in interviews or when networking, skip your job title and work history and use an opening gambit that highlights your talents.
-
Stock Market Today: No 'Powell Put'? No ProblemInvestors, traders and speculators look beyond both another Trump post and more signs of slowing economic activity.
