Baby Boomers building retirement income want two things from a dividend stock: a check that shows up on schedule, and a balance sheet that says the check will still show up ten years from now. This month’s screen prioritizes payout coverage, free cash flow, and track record before headline yield. All five names below are US-listed, all have paid uninterrupted dividends for decades, and all just reported quarters that either raised guidance or reaffirmed it. Here are five safe high-yield income ideas to consider in August 2026.
Verizon Communications
Verizon (NYSE:VZ | VZ Price Prediction) trades at $48.22 and pays a $0.7075 quarterly dividend, or $2.83 annualized. The stock has already returned 24.34% year-to-date, and management has kept extending the payout runway.
The bull case rests on cash generation. Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.30 beat the $1.27 consensus, free cash flow rose 27.1% to $6.43 billion, and Verizon raised its FY26 adjusted EPS guidance to $4.99 to $5.04. CFO Tony Skiadas noted the January raise "marks the 20th consecutive year of dividend increases, a track record we’re extremely proud of." The Frontier deal closed in January and is already accelerating fiber build.
Risk: Total unsecured debt sits at $136.5 billion with net leverage at 2.5x, up from 2.2x at year-end 2025. Deleveraging back to the 2.0 to 2.25x target is a 2027 story.
Altria Group
Altria (NYSE:MO) closed at $65.08 with a $1.06 quarterly dividend and $4.24 annualized rate. Shares are up 16.49% year-to-date even after a soft month.
The Q2 2026 call reinforced the income thesis. Adjusted diluted EPS came in at $1.48, up 2.8% year-over-year, and management raised FY26 adjusted EPS guidance to $5.61 to $5.72. First-half shareholder returns totaled roughly $3.9 billion, and debt-to-EBITDA landed at 1.9x. CFO Heather Newman: "Our primary vehicle to [return capital] is by way of the dividend."
Risk: Domestic cigarette shipments are still contracting. Q2 reported cigarette volumes fell 3.2%, and Marlboro’s overall retail share slipped 1.5 share points year-over-year. The smoke-free transition is progressing, but execution risk persists.
Enterprise Products Partners
Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD) is a master limited partnership (MLP), which means K-1 tax reporting rather than a 1099. Units trade at $38.02, up 24.07% year-to-date. The Q3 2026 distribution rose to $0.56 per unit, an annualized $2.24, extending a growth streak that now spans more than 27 years.
Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA hit a record $2.8 billion, up 17%, adjusted cash flow from operations was $2.5 billion, and the distribution payout ratio ran at just 56%. Consolidated leverage sits at the 3.0x target with 97% fixed-rate debt. The LPG export terminal expansion comes online end of 2026.
Risk: Commodity price volatility and elevated capex. 2026 growth capex is guided to $2.9 to $3.4 billion, roughly $700 million higher than the initial plan.
Realty Income
Realty Income (NYSE:O), a real estate investment trust (REIT) known as The Monthly Dividend Company, trades at $62.95 and yields 4.9%. The $0.271 monthly dividend paid August 14 marks continued growth from $0.264 in early 2025, and the company has now delivered 115 consecutive quarterly dividend increases and 670 consecutive monthly payments.
Q2 2026 AFFO per share rose to $1.09, up 3.8%, and management raised full-year AFFO guidance to $4.44 to $4.45. Occupancy sits at 98.8%, and Fitch just initiated coverage with an A long-term issuer default rating, placing O among only four US REITs at that level. A newly announced $6 billion hyperscale data center joint venture opens a fresh growth vector.
Risk: Net debt to EBITDA at 5.4x is inside the target range but elevated, and 65.7% of annualized base rent comes from non-investment-grade tenants.
Amgen
Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) closed at $417.84, up 29.52% year-to-date. The next $2.52 dividend goes ex on August 21 with a September 11 payment, putting the annualized rate at $10.08.
The Q2 2026 call showcased why the payout is well covered. Revenue topped $10 billion (up 10%), non-GAAP operating margin hit 48%, and free cash flow reached $3.5 billion in the quarter. Management raised FY26 guidance to revenue of $38.2 to $39.4 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $22.30 to $23.50. CEO Bob Bradway framed the durability: "We remain confident in our ability to deliver durable growth well into the next decade."
Risk: Prolia sales fell 33% year-over-year to $1.1 billion under biosimilar pressure, and total debt has climbed to $57.3 billion. The pipeline (MariTide, Olpaceran, Zaluridamig) needs to deliver.
The Bottom Line
None of these five is a coupon-clipping bond substitute; each carries a specific operating or balance-sheet risk investors should size accordingly. What ties them together is coverage: dividends and distributions funded by growing operating cash flow. For income-oriented Boomer portfolios heading into fall, these are the names where the payout math still works.
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