
Investors are looking for growth beyond the technology sector, and that’s putting dividend stocks back in favor. The idea is simple: When a stock’s growth outlook is unclear, dividends can help boost its total return and mitigate downside risk to investors’ portfolios.
For example, The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) stock has been up about 17% in the last 12 months. When you add in the company’s dividend yield, which currently is about 2.12%, the total return for KO stock is closer to 20%. That’s something that many investors can get behind.