All It Takes Is $10,000 Invested in Equal Parts of These 3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Generate Over $1,500 in Yearly Dividends.

Source The Motley Fool

Key Points

  • Some businesses are designed to pay large dividends, like Realty Income and Enterprise Products Partners.

  • Sometimes, even strong businesses go through hard times, like Hormel Foods.

  • If you pick investments carefully, you can create a very rewarding dividend portfolio.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Realty Income ›

If you were to invest $10,000 in Realty Income (NYSE: O) and its 5.1% yield, you'd generate $510 a year in dividends. The same amount invested in Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD), with its 5.8% yield, would generate $580 per year. And $10k in 4.6% yielding Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) would provide you with $460 a year in dividend income. Put that all together, and these three high-yielders could pay you $1,550 per year.

But the big story is that each of these businesses has a long history of regularly increasing its dividends. So not only do you get a lofty income stream today, but, if history is any guide, it will grow over time. Here's a look at each one to get you started.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

A triangular yellow sign that says high yield low risk on it.

Image source: Getty Images.

Realty Income: A 5.1% yield and built to be boring

Realty Income is a net lease real estate investment trust (REIT). That means that its tenants are responsible for paying most property-level costs. This reduces Realty Income's expenses and risk. Further reducing risk is the REIT's massive portfolio of more than 15,500 properties. The portfolio is spread across single-tenant retail (78% of rents), industrial (16%), and "other" assets (the remainder), including casinos and data centers. On top of that, the company is geographically diversified, generating most of its rents from North America and around 20% from Europe.

Safety is job one when it comes to the dividend, noting that Realty Income has an investment-grade-rated balance sheet and a 31-year history of annual dividend increases. The only problem with Realty Income is that it is so large that it is a bit of a tortoise on the growth front. Management is well aware of this and has been using its core competencies to reach into new areas. For example, data centers and casinos are relatively new asset classes for the company. And it recently created a fee-generating institutional asset management business. This REIT won't excite you, but boring isn't a bad thing when it comes with a big yield and a steadily growing dividend.

Enterprise Products Partners: A 5.8% yield and reliable energy income

Enterprise Products Partners is a master limited partnership (MLP) that hails from the energy sector. The quick protest point is that energy stocks can be volatile because commodity prices are volatile. Enterprise sidesteps commodity prices, instead charging fees for the use of its vast North American portfolio of energy infrastructure. It owns things like pipelines, storage, and transportation assets. Volume is a more important factor than energy prices in determining the MLP's ability to pay distributions. Given the importance of energy to the global economy, volumes tend to be strong even when oil prices are low.

The business model's proof point comes from Enterprise's 27 annual distribution increases. That's basically as long as the MLP has been public and includes several energy market downturns. Moreover, like Realty Income, Enterprise has an investment-grade-rated balance sheet. Slow growth is the norm, but Enterprise has a $5 billion capital investment plan in the works, so look for more distribution hikes in the years ahead.

Hormel Foods: A 4.6% yield from a Dividend King

Hormel Foods has the most impressive dividend streak on the list, at 60 years. That makes it a Dividend King, a highly elite group of companies with 50 or more consecutive annual hikes. The stock's yield is so high right now because it is working through a rough patch, which isn't uncommon for a company as long-established as Hormel Foods. The turnaround has been slow-moving, but it appears to be progressing. And, notably, the company continues to increase its dividend.

Hormel makes food, with a focus on protein. It owns brands like SPAM, Columbus, Planters, and Applegate, among others. While you probably know the company from its consumer-facing brands, it also has a sizable business selling prepared meat products to restaurants and other service providers. A key business focus is innovation, a powerful selling point in the consumer staples sector. With Hormel's organic growth ticking higher for six quarters in a row and earnings starting to rebound, this turnaround story looks like it has hit an inflection point. You might want to act quickly if you are thinking about buying it.

Lock in a $1,550 income stream while you can

Realty Income, Enterprise, and Hormel have attractive businesses and attractive yields. Those yields may not stick around forever, noting that Hormel's yield is still toward the high end of its historical yield range. Wait too long, and this diversified trio of high-yield dividend stocks may not produce as lucrative an income stream as they do today.

Should you buy stock in Realty Income right now?

Before you buy stock in Realty Income, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Realty Income wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $399,832!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,374,595!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 968% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 215% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of August 10, 2026.

Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in Hormel Foods and Realty Income. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Realty Income. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Gold Price Forecast: Gold Rises as Nonfarm Payrolls Unexpectedly Turn Negative; Can CPI and PPI Help Break $4,500? As of the Asian session on August 10, gold prices ( XAUUS D) extended last week's trend into this week after a sharp rise last week, with the latest gold price trading near $4,345, up sli
Author  TradingKey
14 hours ago
As of the Asian session on August 10, gold prices ( XAUUS D) extended last week's trend into this week after a sharp rise last week, with the latest gold price trading near $4,345, up sli
placeholder
Hormuz tensions escalate as unconfirmed missile attack amid fragile US-Iran talksThe ongoing US-Iran conflict has entered a crucial diplomatic phase, with intense fighting and strategic pressure around the vital Strait of Hormuz continuing to drive the dynamic of the war.
Author  FXStreet
21 hours ago
The ongoing US-Iran conflict has entered a crucial diplomatic phase, with intense fighting and strategic pressure around the vital Strait of Hormuz continuing to drive the dynamic of the war.
placeholder
Gold Price Forecast: Can Gold Still Rise Above $4,300 Ahead of July Non-Farm Payrolls?As of the European session on August 7, gold prices ( XAUUSD) extended their recent strong performance, rising over 1% intraday to briefly cross the $4,300 mark. With a cumulative gain of
Author  TradingKey
Aug 07, Fri
As of the European session on August 7, gold prices ( XAUUSD) extended their recent strong performance, rising over 1% intraday to briefly cross the $4,300 mark. With a cumulative gain of
placeholder
NFP or Iran: Which factor will break the US Dollar Index out of its consolidation?The US Dollar Index (DXY) trades around 99.95 at the time of writing on Friday, virtually unchanged on the day, as investors refrain from placing aggressive bets ahead of the release of the July US employment report.
Author  FXStreet
Aug 07, Fri
The US Dollar Index (DXY) trades around 99.95 at the time of writing on Friday, virtually unchanged on the day, as investors refrain from placing aggressive bets ahead of the release of the July US employment report.
placeholder
WTI holds firm near $77.50 as escalating Middle East tensions threaten oil supply routesWest Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price remains steady after registering modest gains in the previous day, trading around $77.50 per barrel during the Asian hours on Friday.
Author  FXStreet
Aug 07, Fri
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price remains steady after registering modest gains in the previous day, trading around $77.50 per barrel during the Asian hours on Friday.
goTop
quote