The stock market has been rocked by volatility this year. The S&P 500 was recently down by about 10% since the calendar flipped the page to 2025. That volatility likely has your portfolio down deep in the red.
While you can't eliminate market volatility from your portfolio, you can reduce its sting. One way to do that is by investing in dividend stocks. They provide you with a tangible return in the form of income. On top of that, companies that grow their dividends have historically been less volatile than the S&P 500 as a whole.
Vanguard makes it easy to add dividend stocks to your portfolio through its many exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Three top Vanguard dividend ETFs to buy to help mute volatility are Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU +0.98%), Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM 0.21%), and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ +0.16%). As the chart below showcases, they haven't slumped nearly as much as the S&P 500 this year:
Real estate helps diversify a portfolio and reduce volatility
The Vanguard Real Estate ETF focuses on owning real estate investment trusts (REITs). These companies own income-generating real estate. They use that rental income to pay dividends and invest in additional income-generating real estate.
Investing in real estate is a great way to diversify your portfolio and insulate it from some of the risks of investing in stocks and bonds. REITs have historically been much less volatile than the broader stock market. For example, of the 16 REITs that have been members of the S&P 500 over the past three decades, all but two have betas less than the S&P 500, meaning they've historically been less volatile than that index.
A big driver of the lower volatility of REITs is their dividends, which tend to grow over the long term. The Vanguard Real Estate ETF currently has a dividend yield of around 3.5%, which is a lot higher than the S&P 500's 1.4% yield. That higher income yield provides investors with a higher base return, which also helps cushion some of the impact of volatility.
High-quality, high-yielding dividend stocks help a port
The Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF focuses on companies that pay high-yielding dividends. The fund currently has a dividend yield of around 2.7%, nearly double the S&P 500's dividend yield. Because of that, it provides investors with a higher base return.
While the fund focuses broadly on stocks with higher dividend yields, most of its top holdings also have excellent records of growing their dividends, which helps mute volatility. For example, its top holding is semiconductor and software giant Broadcom. The technology company currently offers a dividend yield right around the S&P 500's level. However, Broadcom has a terrific record of delivering above-average dividend growth. Late last year, Broadcom hiked its payment by 11%. That extended its dividend growth streak to 14 straight years. The company has boosted its payout by a jaw-dropping 8,333% during that period.
Another top holding is oil giant ExxonMobil. The big oil company currently offers a much higher dividend yield of around 4%. Exxon has a fantastic record of growing its dividend. The oil giant raised its payment by another 4% earlier this year, its 42nd straight year of increasing its dividend.
Energize your portfolio with these defensive stocks
The Vanguard Utilities ETF owns companies that distribute electricity, water, or gas to customers or produce power that they sell to other utilities and large corporate customers. Most utilities generate very stable cash flow because government regulators set their rates while demand for their services tends to be very steady, even during a recession. In addition, many utilities and utility-like companies produce additional revenue backed by long-term, fixed-rate contracts, providing them with additional sources of stable cash flow.
The low-risk business models of most utilities enable them to generate stable cash flow to pay dividends and invest in expanding their operations. As a result, utilities tend to have a higher yielding dividend (The Vanguard Utilities ETF yields 2.9%) that slowly rises.
For example, Duke Energy, one of its top holdings, has paid dividends for 99 straight years. While Duke Energy hasn't increased its payment every single year, it has raised its payment for the past 18 years in a row. That growth should continue as Duke invests heavily in supporting the growing demand for electricity in the regions it serves.
Dividend stocks can help lessen the impact of stock market volatility
Adding one or more Vanguard ETFs focusing on dividend stocks to your portfolio is a great way to reduce volatility. Dividend stocks have tended to be less volatile because their growing income payments help cushion the blow. That can help you sleep a little better at night knowing your portfolio has some added downside protection.
