One of The S&P 500's Top-Yielding Dividend Stocks Just Hiked Its Payout Again
For income-minded investors, higher dividend yields are obviously more attractive than lower-yielding dividend stocks. The size of the percentage yield is only half of the matter, however. Just as important to anyone planning on sticking with an income-generating holding for the long haul is how reliably its dividend holding is going to grow over time. With that as the backdrop, there's one S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) name that brings both to the table. It recently raised its dividend again, in fact, extending a streak that's now been in place for 29 years. That company is Realty Income (NYSE: O) , which you can plug into here at a forward-looking dividend yield of 6%. You may be more familiar with Realty Income than you realize. It doesn't do any consumer-facing business under its own name. Rather, it's a landlord specifically to the brick-and-mortar retailing industry. The real estate investment trust -- or REIT -- boasts a portfolio of around 15,500 properties, and companies like Dollar General , Tractor Supply , Home Depot , and 7-Eleven are among its top tenants. Although the brick-and-mortar retail business as a whole may be facing headwinds, this REIT's occupancy rate, consistently above 98% (closer to 99%, actually), confirms it's serving the more resilient sliver of the industry. Continue reading