4 Dividend ETFs to Play for Steady Income

The U.S. economy has lately been showing signs of weakness. There are concerns about the health of the job market and the overall U.S. economy. Due tothe Trump administration’s wavering trade policies, which add uncertainty in the U.S. economy, investors seeking stable income are looking at dividend stocks and funds to boost their portfolios.

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman recently indicated that she is considering three interest rate cuts this year due to the economic slowdown. Bowman indicated that price increases arising from tariffs are likely to have a one-time effect.

Because monetary policy takes time to impact the economy, she said it is okay to tolerate a short-term spike in inflation readings and ease the policy rate to prevent labor market weakness. Note that if rate cuts happen sooner than expected, demand for higher-yielding dividend stocks could spike on a steady stream of hefty current income.

After all, dividend investing remains a popular strategy for investors amid volatility and uncertainty. Though this does not offer dramatic price appreciation, the strategy is a major source of consistent income for investors in any market.

Dividend aristocrats are blue-chip dividend-paying companies with a long history of increasing dividend payments year over year. These generally act as a hedge against economic uncertainty and provide downside protection by offering outsized payouts or sizable yields on a regular basis. Additionally, aristocrats tend to skew the portfolio to less-volatile sectors and mature companies.

Additionally, these stocks have superior fundamentals that make dividend growth a quality and promising investment for the long term. These companies have a sustainable business model, a long track of profitability, rising cash flows, good liquidity, a strong balance sheet and some value characteristics. Further, a history of strong dividend growth indicates a likely hike in the future.

Seeking shelter in high-income ETFs makes sense in a low-rate environment. High dividend payouts often make up for capital losses, if there are any. The hunt for dividends in the equity market is always on, irrespective of how it is behaving.

Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that appear to be good picks at the current level.

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF VIG

The underlying S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index consists of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. The fund charges 5 bps in fees.