Apollo Investment

Apollo Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: AINV) is business development company that operates as a closed-end management structure. With shares at $5.26, its $0.80 annualized dividend generates a whopping 15% dividend yield. That payout also compares to a consensus analyst estimate of $0.84 in earnings per share for 2016. Apollo Investment’s dividend has never recovered to its pre-recession peak, but its payout has also been stuck at $0.20 per share since 2012.

Apollo Investment has a consensus analyst price target of $6.47 and a 52-week trading range of $4.26 to $8.03. Its market cap is $1.2 billion, and its average volume is over a million shares per day. Fitch recently downgraded Apollo Investment’s credit rating to BBB- from BBB, which means that it is now the lowest rating of the investment-grade classification.

Government Properties Income Trust

Another REIT, Government Properties Income Trust (NYSE: GOV) is externally managed and focuses almost solely on leasing property and buildings to federal, state, local and agencies that are considered governmental entities. It shows that 93% of rents are from governmental tenants. As of December 31, 2015, 94.5% of its rentable square feet at properties classified as continuing operations was leased. One issue of concern to some investors is that it has distributed to common shareholders shares of RMR common stock.

With shares at $15.52, its $1.72 trailing annualized dividend generates an 11.1% dividend yield. The consensus analyst earnings target here is $2.38 per share for 2016. Despite a rough share performance, the $0.43 per quarter dividend has been static since late in 2012.

Government Properties has a slightly lower consensus analyst price target at $15.00, but its market cap is $1.1 billion and its 52-week range is $12.33 to $23.51. The average daily volume is about 900,000 shares per day. While there is no way to know what the earnings and dividend will be ahead, you can loan the government money at less than 2% for a 10-year Treasury note or you can earn over 10% being a landlord to governmental offices.

Nordic American Tankers

Nordic American Tankers Ltd. (NYSE: NAT) has a 12.5% dividend yield, based on its $13.60 share price. Its trailing $1.72 per share annualized payout compares to earnings estimates of $1.19 per share for 2016.

Nordic American’s CEO recently appeared on CNBC talking up the proposition for its strong shipping volumes of its uniform double-hull Suezmax tanker fleet. The shipping giant continues to look for growth opportunities, despite the times being what they are in the energy sector. One risk exists here in that is that its dividend has varied since 2014, so its yield can at times be considered subjective or tentative.

Nordic American Tankers has a consensus price target of $14.92 and a 52-week range of $9.94 to $17.45. Its market cap is $1.22 billion. The average daily volume is close to 2 million shares.