Realty Income pays its dividends on a monthly schedule.
It has a yield of 5.7%.
There may not be a stock that's more synonymous with dividends than Realty Income (NYSE: O).
The real estate investment trust (REIT), which invests primarily in a portfolio of stable, single-lease commercial properties, has been one of the most consistent and highest dividend payers on the market. It even brands itself as the "monthly dividend company" in its marketing materials.
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As the slogan says, Realty Income is one of the relatively few stocks that distributes its payouts monthly rather than quarterly. And it has raised its dividends for 32 straight years -- that is, ever since it went public in 1994.
Image source: Getty Images.
As a REIT, it's required by law to pay out at least 90% of its taxable income in dividends every year, which explains its high yield. Currently, Realty Income pays a monthly dividend of $0.2715 per share, with an annual dividend yield of 5.7% -- which is more than five times higher than the S&P 500's average yield at the moment.
If you are looking for dividend income, there are few stocks better and more reliable than Realty Income.
A $10,000 investment in Realty Income right now would buy you about 176 shares at a price of about $57 per share. Each month, those 176 shares would net you about $48 in dividends, based on its current distribution of $0.2715 per share.
If you extrapolated that across 12 months, those 176 shares would generate about $573 per year in dividend income.
That $573 could be pocketed as income, put in the bank, or reinvested back in the stock to provide compound growth over time and boost your total return.
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Dave Kovaleski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Realty Income. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.