With the current market volatility, investors are feeling fearful. However, it’s important to approach these times with smart and strategic investment strategies. Here are some tips on how smart investors handle market volatility:

Smart Investor Strategies for Volatility

During times of uncertainty, it’s common to encounter daunting headlines and pessimistic forecasts. However, it is crucial to remember that market timing and panicking rarely result in successful outcomes. It’s important to stay invested and maintain a diversified portfolio with different asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and managed futures. This approach can provide stable returns while minimizing volatility.

Market timing has consistently proven to be difficult and ineffective. Some of the greatest investors in history, including Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch, have emphasized the importance of staying invested and avoiding attempts to time the market.

Moreover, market timing can lead to missed opportunities, as the best market days often follow the worst ones. Instead of trying to time the market, it’s advisable to focus on long-term investment strategies and resist the urge to make impulsive decisions based on short-term market fluctuations.

One effective strategy to consider is investing in dividend aristocrats, which are companies with a history of consistently increasing their dividends. These stocks tend to be more stable and low-volatility, making them suitable for uncertain market conditions.

Finding High-Yield Dividend Aristocrats for Today’s Environment

To identify the best high-yield dividend aristocrats for the current market conditions, you can utilize research tools like the DK Zen Research Terminal. This platform allows you to screen for stocks based on specific criteria.

Here is an example of a screening process using the DK Zen Research Terminal:

1. Start with a list of “Dividend Champions” to identify potential dividend aristocrats.
2. Filter by reasonable buy, good buy, strong buy, very strong buy, or ultra value buy ratings from BHS.
3. Exclude speculative stocks and focus on non-turnaround stocks with investment-grade ratings.
4. Sort the remaining stocks by annual volatility to identify the lowest volatility options.
5. Select the top 10 stocks and add them to your watchlist.

Based on this screening process, here are 10 high-yield dividend aristocrats that have shown low volatility and strong fundamentals:

1. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
2. PepsiCo (PEP)
3. Coca-Cola (KO)
4. McDonald’s (MCD)
5. Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
6. Clorox (CLX)
7. MGE Energy (MGEE)
8. Church & Dwight (CHD)
9. Fortis (FTS)
10. Novartis (NVS)

It’s important to consider factors such as tax implications and fundamentals when investing in these stocks. For example, FTS is Canadian, so it may be more favorable to own it in a retirement account to avoid dividend withholding. Additionally, comprehensive fundamentals summaries can provide insights into the overall quality, credit ratings, and growth potential of these aristocrats.

Dividend aristocrats like these offer attractive yields (3.2%) compared to the S&P 500 and provide stable long-term returns. By investing in these high-quality, low-volatility stocks, investors can navigate market volatility and potentially outperform broader market indices.

Conclusion

In times of market uncertainty, it is crucial for investors to remain calm and follow a disciplined investment strategy. Trying to time the market is often a futile and risky approach. Instead, focusing on a diversified portfolio and investing in stable, high-yield dividend aristocrats can be a more effective long-term strategy. By identifying stocks with low volatility and strong fundamentals, investors can weather market fluctuations and achieve their financial goals.

“Invest in companies with a history of consistent growth instead of trying to time the market. This strategy has proven successful for some of the greatest investors in history.”