The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that dividend growth is slowing down, dividend cuts are becoming more common in the energy and materials sectors, and the price of many star dividend payers has been under pressure. The Globe's Rob Carrick writes that dividend stocks represent a known and reliable quantity. Investors need to up their game when focusing on dividend stocks. Mr. Carrick says if you look at Canadian dividend funds from several of the big banks, you will find some solid results. RBC Canadian Dividend Growth Series A has outperformed the S&P/TSX composite total-return index over all time frames, with a fair bit less volatility. There are no revelations in the portfolio -- almost half the stocks are in the financial sector, and energy's second at 21.5 per cent. Top holdings are the ones individual dividend investors are targeting -- the big banks, Canadian National Railway, Brookfield Asset Management, Suncor Energy and Enbridge. Scotia Canadian Dividend Series A beats the index any which way you look at, with especially low volatility. Financials and energy are again the top holdings, but with lighter weightings than RBC Canadian Dividend.