Since early November and the surprise election of Donald Trump, the markets have been about one thing. And that’s growth. Thanks to Trump’s pro-business policies and stances, investors have shifted gears and moved heavily into stocks benefiting from expansion. Growth and momentum stocks have ruled the roost for the last ten months or so.
But in that shift away from value, many dividend stocks have failed to keep up.
Income seekers shouldn’t fret, however. We’ve been given a gift. Now could be one of the best times to load up on shares paying above-average dividends.
Underperformance From Dividend Stocks
For value and dividend stocks, the last few quarters haven’t been so kind to their returns. A combination of a few factors have made them the pariahs of the markets. On the one hand, Trump’s focus on reducing regulation, boosting GDP, and lowering corporate taxes has made investors once again giddy for growth stocks. Firms with more direct ties to rising economic growth, like tech, have surged ahead in recent quarters. Feel free to pull up a chart for Google (GOOG) or Apple (AAPL ) to see what I mean.
