Out of the Doghouse, SDOG Holds Dividend Stalwarts

ETF Building Blocks Content Hub Out of the Doghouse, SDOG Holds Dividend Stalwarts Todd Shriber September 14, 2026 There’s a lot of enthusiasm directed to artificial intelligence (AI) and mega-cap growth stocks. Still, shares of companies returning capital to shareholders by way of buybacks and dividends are delivering the goods this year. Many of those stocks are outpacing the broader market — just look at the ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (SDOG) , which is up 19.36% year-to-date as of Sept. 11. Under any circumstances, SDOG’s 2026 showing is impressive, but it’s even more so when considering this ETF equally weights its sector exposures, meaning its 10% allocation to tech stocks isn’t even a third of that group’s weight in the S&P 500. Said differently, SDOG’s strong 2026 run is a testament to its holdings, which include what some experts believe are some of the best dividend stocks to own today, one of which is Amcor (AMCR) , a consumer discretionary name. “Amcor is the highest-yielding stock on our list of the best dividend aristocrats to buy and hold for the long term,” noted Morningstar’s Susan Dziubinski . “Morningstar analyst Esther Holloway reports that Amcor has a progressive dividend policy, typically increasing total dividends by $0.05 each year. The stock trades 25% below our $60 fair value estimate.” More SDOG Treats Coming off a 4.7% dividend hike announced last month, tobacco giant Altria (MO) could be another example of an SDOG holding that proves additive to the ETF’s performance over the final months of 2026, particularly if market participants look to diversify AI-heavy portfolios with some defensive positions. Aerospace and defense behemoth Lockheed Martin (LMT) is the only industrial name making the cut as one Morningstar’s top dividend stocks to own and that’s good news for SDOG investors because that stock is one of the ETF’s holdings. “Biggest isn’t always best, but Lockheed (and investors) benefit from the sheer scale of its tens of billions of dollars of contracts that provide defined decades-long revenue and profit streams,” noted Morningstar analyst Nicolas Owens . The $1.41 billion SDOG sports a 30-day SEC yield of 3.32%, or more than triple the S&P 500’s dividend yield. For more news, information, and analysis, visit the ETF Building Blocks Content Hub . VettaFi LLC (“VettaFi”) is the index provider for SDOG, for which it receives an index licensing fee. However, SDOG is not issued, sponsored, endorsed, or sold by VettaFi, and VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing, or trading of SDOG. RELATED TOPICS ALPS ETF Building Blocks Content Hub SDOG Earn free CE credits and discover new strategies