Top 5 Safe Dividend Stocks Paying 6.9%+ Right Now
With the 10-year Treasury now yielding above 5%, most dividend stocks no longer clear the bar. These five not only clear it but back every payout with real cash flow, and one yields nearly double what Treasuries pay.
The 10-year Treasury yields 5.22% as of October 8, 2026, so any income stock now has to pay well above that to earn its place in a portfolio. These five do. At current prices, their forward yields average 8.5%, and cash earnings, net investment income, or free cash flow back each payout. They are ordered here by how well the dividend is protected, with yield as the secondary filter.
Verizon: 6.6% Yield Backed by Surging Free Cash Flow
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ | VZ Price Prediction) pays $2.83 per share annually. At $43.18, that works out to a forward yield of 6.6%, which puts it in ultra-high-yield territory.
Dividend safety: Second-quarter free cash flow came in at $6.43 billion, up 27.1%. Management raised full-year guidance to 9% to 10% free cash flow growth. The dividend takes about 56% of the center of 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $4.99 to $5.04. The quarterly payout has increased every year on record, from $0.55 in 2015 to $0.7075 today.
Bull case: The turnaround is showing up in subscriber numbers. Verizon added 184,000 postpaid phone customers, compared with a loss of 9,000 a year earlier. Churn improved to 0.92%, and adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 40.1% from 37.1%. After the Frontier deal, fiber connections reached 10.9M. The stock trades at 9 times forward earnings.
Risk: Net unsecured debt rose to 2.5x adjusted EBITDA from 2.2x, and fixed wireless net adds fell 30.6%. Shares have fallen 13.23% over the past month.
Altria: Pricing Power Funds a Rising Payout
Altria (NYSE:MO) recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11 from $1.06. That is $4.44 a year, or a 6.1% forward yield, at $72.21.
Dividend safety: The new rate matches about 78% of the center of 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.61 to $5.72. Management narrowed that range and raised the low end. In the first half, Altria returned about $3.9 billion through dividends and buybacks. The quarterly payout has stepped up from $0.98 in 2024 to $1.02, then $1.06, and now $1.11. Stockholders’ equity is negative at −$2.62 billion, driven by years of buybacks.
Bull case: Pricing more than offset a 3.2% decline in smokeable volume. With a beta of 0.461, the stock has been a defensive anchor.
Risk: Marlboro’s retail share slipped to 39.5%, oral tobacco revenue fell 5.2%, and NJOY ACE will remain off the market through 2026. Shares are up 31.31% year to date and sit above the $70 analyst target.
EPR Properties: Monthly Income With 2.0x Tenant Coverage
EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) pays $0.31 every month, or $3.72 annualized. That is a 6.7% yield at $55.41. If a monthly payment schedule appeals to you, we have rounded up seven more payers on the same schedule in a free report here.
Dividend safety: The payout matches about 68% of the center of raised 2026 FFOAA guidance of $5.41 to $5.57. (FFOAA, or funds from operations as adjusted, is the cash-earnings measure REITs use.) Tenants cover their rent 2.0x, interest coverage is 4.0x, and the portfolio is 99% leased or operated. The record does include a cut: the payout fell from $0.3825 in 2020 to $0.25 in 2021. It has risen every year since.
Bull case: FFOAA per share grew 12.7% to $1.42. EPR spent $304.4 million on seven Six Flags properties and added Netflix as a tenant, with new investments earning an initial cash yield of about 8.5%.
Risk: Debt rose to 54% of total assets from 50%, and $450 million comes due in December 2026. Topgolf and AMC each account for 13.1% of revenue.
Ares Capital: 10.3% Yield From the Largest Public BDC
Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) pays $0.48 a quarter. At $18.68, that is a 10.3% forward yield. Business development companies (BDCs) lend to middle-market companies and must pass most of their income through to shareholders.
Dividend safety: Second-quarter core EPS of $0.47 nearly covered the $0.48 dividend. The dividend rate has held at $0.48 per quarter since March 2023. Chief Executive Kort Schnabel pointed to “17 years of stable or increasing regular quarterly dividends.” Leverage stands at 1.15x debt-to-equity, available liquidity is about $6.0 billion, and there are no significant near-term maturities. In September, Ares priced $750 million of notes due 2033.
Bull case: The $29.35 billion portfolio is spread across 619 companies, which limits exposure to any single borrower. The stock trades at 0.99 times book value, below the $20.77 analyst target.
Risk: Non-accruals rose to 2.4% from 1.8%, and net asset value (NAV) per share slipped to $19.35.
Blackstone Secured Lending: 12.9% Yield Built on First-Lien Loans
Blackstone Secured Lending Fund (NYSE:BSXL) pays $3.08 a year. With shares at $23.85, the forward yield is 12.9%, the highest on this list.
Dividend safety: Net investment income of $0.75 covered 97% of the $0.77 dividend, down from 100% in the first quarter. The quarterly rate has held at $0.77 since the June 2023 declaration. The loan book is conservative: 96.8% is first-lien senior secured, 93.2% of interest income is paid in cash, and non-accruals sit at 1.8% at fair value.
Bull case: Net investment income beat the $0.66 consensus estimate by 13.67%, and Chief Executive Brad Marshall reported no new non-accruals in the second quarter. Shares trade at 0.965 times book value.
Risk: Net investment income has declined from $0.82 to $0.75 per share, and new loans yield 7.7% versus 9.1% on loans paying off. Moody’s outlook is negative, and Co-CEO Jonathan Bock resigned in late July 2026.
Income Premium That Pays for Its Risks
Each of these five yields more than Treasuries, and each funds its payout from operations. Verizon and Altria offer steadily rising payouts. EPR adds monthly income backed by 2.0x tenant coverage. Ares Capital and Blackstone Secured Lending provide double-digit yields, and their third-quarter earnings reports will show whether dividend coverage holds steady or tightens further.
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Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad, diverse career, including a stint as creative services director at an NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry.
Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans more than 30 years, including nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career spanned pivotal sell-side Wall Street events, from the dot-com rise and bubble to the Long-Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This reflects his resilience and adaptability amid market volatility.
Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, gained through a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing across various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies of Wall Street in a way only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.
Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.
