Our hypothesis: While there could certainly be a pullback in the category, we don’t expect continued rising rates to do lasting damage to dividend ETF growth. There are a few reasons for this. First, rates have already begun to rise this year – the 10-year Treasury yield, for example, is currently up 100 basis points from its bottom. And yet, year-to-date dividend ETF inflows of $16.7bn have shown no signs of abating, already topping their 2012 level ($14.5 billion) and on their way to breaking 2011’s record ($18.6 billion).
It’s also important to note that many investors see dividend stocks as a long-term, core investment versus a tactical play. As my colleague Russ Koesterich pointed out in a recent post, research shows that over the long term, dividend stocks tend to outperform the broader equity market in both bull and bear markets. Russ’s advice for a rising rate environment? Don’t abandon dividend stocks, but be selective – he currently likes mega cap equities, energy sector and international dividend securities.
But perhaps most convincing is the faith that the ETF industry seems to have in the dividend stock category. The number of dividend ETFs (166 at the end of June) has grown 75% year-to-date, outpacing the 57% increase in number of fixed income ETFs and the 37% increase in total ETFs created during the same time period. Clearly, many ETF providers don’t see an end to dividend ETF demand any time soon.
With the vast number of choices that ETFs offer in the equity dividend category, it will be important for investors to do their due diligence to make sure they’re getting the exposure they desire. But with this increased selection, chances are there will be a dividend ETF out there that’s right for each investor’s portfolio.
Dodd Kittsley, CFA, is the Head of Global ETP Market Trends Research for BlackRock.