Dividend stocks are outperforming this year in a volatile market, with investors turning to them for income and perceived safety. The ProShares S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF is up 10% so far this year, compared to the S&P 500 for less than 1%. This is due to concerns about artificial intelligence disrupting certain industries, including software companies like Block. Coca-Cola and NextEra Energy have both recently announced dividend increases, marking their 64th consecutive years of increases. The performance of these dividend stocks can be attributed to investor preference for non-Tech companies and their defensive nature.