"Expect Big Things From Dividends in 2022" Historically, dividend stocks, particularly the growers comprising the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Fund (DLN), outperform non-dividend payers and the broader market when markets decline. Then, as inflation reached decades-high levels and the Fed began its aggressive interest rate hikes, dividend-paying companies were seen as more stable and of higher quality. "Advisors sought out dividend ETFs in 2022 as an alternative to more interest rate sensitive bond products in an effort to receive stable income and have upside potential while the Fed continued to hike," Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, said.