Unless you're a short-seller or were heavily invested in energy stocks, 2022 probably wasn't a banner year. All three major U.S. stock indexes plummeted into a bear market and produced their worst single-year returns in 14 years.

But amid this carnage, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) stood tall. While its 9% decline did represent its worst performance since 2008, it was markedly better than the Nasdaq Composite, which lost a whopping 33% last year. Because the Dow's 30 components have a rich history of profitability, they're just the type of businesses investors turn to when stock market volatility and uncertainty pick up.

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Source Fool.com