Investors love dividend stocks, especially monthly-paying ones, because they provide dependable passive income and a strong opportunity for total return. Total return includes interest, capital gains, dividends, and distributions realized over time. In other words, the total return on an investment or portfolio consists of income and stock appreciation. At 24/7 Wall St., we have focused on dividend stocks for over 15 years because, despite the stock market’s ups and downs, many people need reliable passive income streams to supplement their income from employment or other sources such as Social Security and pensions.
Even if you get the highest payout from Social Security, which is $5,181 per month, and that’s if you wait until 70 to claim and have paid the maximum amount during your working career, that is likely just barely enough to cover all your costs and living expenses. If you have worked hard for 40 years, have $1,000,000 in investable funds earmarked for passive retirement income, and have a moderately higher risk tolerance, you could be sitting pretty. You can take your Social Security earlier at 65, receive $3,467, and add it to our “Safest Monthly Dividend” portfolio, which offers a $4,425 monthly payout based on $200,000 in each stock. Your total monthly income jumps to $7,892, or $94,704 per year.
We screened our monthly pay dividend stock research database for companies with the safest profiles and that have consistently paid monthly dividends to shareholders for years. Five companies we have followed for some time still stand out as the safest options for Boomers and retirees looking to generate the most passive income. The blended portfolio yields 5.31%, and the top Wall Street firms we cover rate all five companies a Buy.
Why Do We Cover Monthly Dividend Stocks?
Since 1926, dividends have accounted for approximately 32% of the S&P 500’s total return, while capital appreciation has accounted for 68%. Therefore, sustainable dividend income and the potential for capital appreciation are essential to total return expectations. A study by Hartford Funds, in collaboration with Ned Davis Research, found that dividend stocks delivered an annualized return of 9.18% over the 50 years from 1973 to 2023. Over the same timeline, this was more than double the annualized return for non-payers (3.95%).
Agree Realty
Agree Realty (NYSE: ADC | ADC Price Prediction) is an $8 billion+ industry leader in acquiring and developing properties net-leased to retailers. This mid-cap stock offers a reliable 4.23% dividend and strong upside potential. Agree Realty is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that acquires and develops properties net-leased to industry-leading, omnichannel retail tenants.
The company’s assets are held by, and all of its operations are conducted directly or indirectly through, the operating partnership of which the company is the sole general partner.
Its portfolio comprises over 2,370 properties in 50 states, totaling approximately 48.8 million square feet of gross leasable area. The company’s portfolio of properties is located in:
- Texas
- Ohio
- Florida
- Michigan
- Illinois
- North Carolina
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- California
- New York
- Georgia
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Wisconsin
Agree Realty tenants include these companies and more:
- Walmart
- Dollar General
- Tractor Supply
- Best Buy
- Dollar Tree
- TJX Companies
- O’Reilly Auto Parts
- CVS
- Kroger
- Lowe’s
- Hobby Lobby
- Burlington
- Sherwin-Williams
- Sunbelt Rentals
- Wawa
- Home Depot
- TBC
- Gerber Collision
Jefferies has an $84 target price and a Buy rating.
EPR Properties
This REIT invests in some of the most popular entertainment companies and was also one of the newest additions to the JPMorgan Equity Analysts Focus List. EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR) is a leading experiential net-lease real estate investment trust specializing in select enduring experiential properties and pays a 6.02% dividend. EPR recently increased its monthly dividend by 5.1% and expects FFO per share growth of more than 5% in 2026, supporting continued dividend increases. After suspending its dividend during COVID, it has recovered with five consecutive years of increases. Its $6.9 billion property portfolio generates solid cash flow, and the monthly dividend of $0.31 per share is well-covered by funds from operations.
The company operates through two segments. The Experiential segment consists of approximately:
- 148 theater properties
- 59 eat and play properties
- 25 attraction properties
- 11 ski properties
- Four experiential lodging properties
- One gaming property
- One cultural property
- 22 fitness and wellness properties
The company’s Education segment comprises 46 early childhood education centers and nine private schools.
EPR Properties’ investment portfolio includes ownership of and long-term mortgages on experiential and educational properties. The company has investments in approximately 44 states. All the company’s owned single-tenant properties are leased on long-term, triple-net terms.
Stifel has a Buy rating with a $70.50 target price.
LTC Properties
This healthcare REIT specializes in senior housing and skilled nursing facilities, offering exposure to the growing healthcare real estate sector and a dependable 5.67% monthly dividend yield. LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC) invests in senior housing and healthcare properties through sale-leasebacks, mortgage financing, joint ventures, construction financing, and structured finance solutions, including preferred equity and mezzanine lending.
LTC Properties is backed by one of the most compelling long-term real estate trends. The senior housing sector faces a substantial supply shortfall at current development rates. That gap will only widen as Baby Boomers continue to age into retirement and assisted living. That structural demand makes LTC’s property portfolio increasingly valuable over time. The slightly elevated yield reflects healthcare REITs’ regulatory risk, but few sectors can match the long-term growth fundamentals of an aging population.
It invests in various properties, including:
- Skilled nursing centers, which provide restorative, rehabilitative, and nursing care.
- Assisted living facilities, which serve people who require assistance with activities of daily living.
- Independent living facilities, also known as retirement communities or senior apartments, offer a community and numerous levels of service, such as laundry, housekeeping, dining options/meal plans, exercise and wellness programs, transportation, social, cultural, and recreational activities, on-site security, and others.
- Memory care facilities offer specialized options for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Citizens has a Market Outperform rating with a $43 target price.
Main Street Capital
Main Street Capital (NASDAQ: MAIN) has helped over 200 private companies grow or transition by providing flexible private equity and debt capital solutions. This Wall Street favorite offers a substantial 5.35% monthly dividend. Main Street Capital is a business development company with a strong history of monthly dividends and relatively conservative lending practices.
The firm also provides debt capital to middle-market companies for:
- Acquisitions
- Management buyouts
- Growth financings
- Recapitalizations
- Refinancing
The firm seeks to partner with entrepreneurs, business owners, and management teams and generally provides “one-stop” financing options within its lower-middle-market portfolio.
Main Street Capital typically invests in lower-middle-market companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $150 million. The firm’s middle-market debt investments are in businesses generally larger than those in its lower-middle-market portfolio. It also creates majority and minority equity.
Royal Bank of Canada has an Outperform rating with a $58 target price.
Realty Income
Realty Income (NYSE:O) is a real estate investment trust that has paid monthly dividends consistently for over 55 years. It owns over 15,000 properties leased primarily to defensive retailers. This is an ideal stock for growth and income investors seeking a safer dividend idea for the rest of 2026, with a 5.23% dividend yield. Realty Income is an S&P 500 company that acquires and manages freestanding commercial properties that generate rental revenue under long-term net lease agreements with its commercial clients.
It is engaged in a single business activity: leasing property to clients, generally on a net basis. This business activity spans various geographic boundaries and encompasses a range of property types and clients across multiple industries. The company owns or holds interests in approximately 15,621 properties in all 50 United States and:
- United Kingdom
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Portugal
- Spain
With clients operating in 89 industries, its property types include retail, industrial, gaming, and other categories such as agriculture and office. Its primary industry concentrations include:
- Grocery stores
- Convenience stores
- Dollar stores
- Drug stores
- Home improvement stores
- Restaurants
- Quick service
Royal Bank of Canada has an Outperform rating with a $70 target price.
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