Like with any stock, dividend stocks are impacted by the overall rise and fall of the markets, making them vulnerable to periods of volatility. But as a whole, these stocks have a tendency to be less volatile than non-dividend stocks. In part, this is because investors in dividend stocks have a tendency to be buy-and-hold investors looking for passive income, rather than very active traders. Other criteria that can be helpful to screen for includes companies with strong cash flow, long-term earnings between 5% and 15%, and low debt-to-equity ratios.