3 Dividend Stocks That Are No-Brainer Buys Heading Into the Second Half of 2026

The S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has a tiny little 1% yield today. Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) is offering a 3.5% yield. Realty Income's (NYSE: O) yield is 5%. And Enterprise Products Partners' (NYSE: EPD) yield is an even higher 5.9%. Here's why you'll find each of these high-yield stocks attractive as the second half of 2026 gets underway.

Novo Nordisk is betting on volume

Novo Nordisk's trailing 12-month dividend payout ratio is a solid 40%. That's important because the drugmaker is currently facing some headwinds. Or, more to the point, its business is in transition. It was first to market with a GLP-1 weight-loss shot, but quickly lost its lead to Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). That said, it beat Eli Lilly to market with a GLP-1 pill, and its pill appears to perform better than Eli Lilly's pill.

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This development gives Novo Nordisk a chance to regain market share in this hot drug niche. The uptake of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy GLP-1 pill has been dramatically faster than that of its shot, so the early indications are good. The only problem is that prices are coming down, which is weighing on revenues and earnings.

However, lower prices are actually a part of the plan. The company believes that volume will more than offset lower pricing as more people take GLP-1 drugs to lose weight. And given how widespread weight issues are, there's likely to be enough room in the market for more than one player. Buying Novo Nordisk while it is unloved and yielding a historically high 3.5% could be a wise move in the second half for contrarian types.

Realty Income is built to pay reliable dividends

Realty Income is the largest net lease real estate investment trust (REIT), with over 15,500 properties. A net lease requires the tenant to pay for most property-level operating costs, thereby reducing the landlord's costs and risks. But that's not the only positive: the REIT's large portfolio provides significant diversification. It owns properties across North America and Europe and invests in retail and industrial assets, as well as other one-off property types, such as casinos and data centers.

Realty Income has long been run conservatively, as evidenced by its 31-year streak of annual dividend increases and investment-grade credit rating. The downside is that it is a very large company, so growth is likely to be slow. However, with a lofty 5% dividend yield, most income investors probably won't mind. It is a tortoise, but it can provide a solid foundation for your dividend portfolio in the back half of 2026.

Enterprise Products Partners is a toll taker

Given the impact of the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East on energy prices, it may seem odd to suggest an energy stock as a reliable dividend payer. But oil prices have always been volatile, and Enterprise Products Partners, one of the largest midstream businesses in North America, hasn't seemed to notice. In fact, its distribution has been increased annually since it went public roughly 27 years ago.

The key is that this master limited partnership (MLP) owns energy infrastructure and charges fees to energy companies for using it. It's a toll-taker model, and the volume moving through Enterprise's system is more important than oil prices. Notably, the MLP's distributable cash flow covers its distribution by a very comfortable 1.7x. The risk of a distribution cut is pretty low.

In fact, the conflict in the Middle East may actually help Enterprise over the long term. Countries and companies may reconsider energy security and pivot to regions with greater economic and political stability, such as North America. This 5.9% yield could be more attractive than you think, even as oil prices fall back from their highs as the second half gets underway.

Three high-yield stocks to look at right now

Novo Nordisk will probably interest investors who like buying out-of-favor stocks. Realty Income will appeal to conservative income investors. And Enterprise is a solid energy stock if you are looking for income and don't want to take on commodity risk. All three are worth a deep dive as we move into the second half of 2026.

Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in Realty Income. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Realty Income. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.