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Real Earnings (O) yields 5% and has raised its monthly dividend to $0.2705/share. EPR Properties ( EPR ) yields 6.37% with Q4 FFO at $1.30 inline and 2026 guidance of $5.28–$5.48/share. Verizon ( VZ ) yields 5.6%, beat Q4 EPS by $0.03, and increased its dividend by 2.5% to $0.7075/share.
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High-yielding dividend stocks such as Real Estate Income, EPR Properties, and Verizon have performed well in a volatile market, offering investors both passive income and portfolio stability as the S&P 500 trades down 3% year to date.
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An analyst named NVIDIA just named his top 10 AI stocks in 2010. Get it for free here.
One of the best ways to protect your portfolio is with high-yielding stocks.
Not only do they help generate passive income, but they also act as a defensive, stable investment in times of great volatility – like we’re seeing right now. Look at dividend-focused ETFs like the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM), for example.
So far, it has outperformed the S&P 500.
READ: The analyst named NVIDIA in 2010 Just naming his top 10 AI stocks
In fact, since the year began, the S&P 500 is down 3%, compared to a 3% return in the VYM ETF last year. It also remains one of the best ways to trade dividend growth.
With an expense ratio of 0.04%, the VYM ETF tracks the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, and currently holds 562 stocks, including Broadcom, JPMorgan, Exxon Mobil, Walmart, and Johnson & Johnson. The VYM ETF also has a yield of 2.29% and pays dividends quarterly. On September 23, it paid just 94 cents a share. On September 23, it paid only 84 cents. And on June 24, it paid just 86 cents a share.
However, if you’re not interested in ETFs, here are three high-yielding dividend stocks to buy now and forget about.
Known as the “Monthly Dividend Company,” Real (NYSE: O ) yields about 5% of earnings. It also just increased its monthly cash dividend from $0.270 per share to $0.2705 per share. The dividend is payable on April 15, 2026, to stockholders of record through March 31, 2026. The new monthly dividend represents an annual dividend amount of $3.246 per share compared to the previous annual dividend amount of $3.240 per share.
Making it even more attractive, Real Estate Income is one of the largest rental real estate investment trusts (REITs) you can buy. It also owns more than 15,600 properties, most of which are in the retail sector. In fact, some of its major tenants include 7-Eleven, Dollar General, Walgreens, Wynn Resorts, FedEx, BJ’s Wholesale Club, CVS, and Tractor Supply.
And, as Smith Roy, president and CEO, noted in his earnings release, “Our fourth quarter capitalization volume of $2.4 billion represents a meaningful acceleration in activity, and our active pipeline for 2026 is reflected in our initial capitalization volume guidance of approximately $8.0 billion. 2026 AFFO per share guidance of $4.38 – $4.42, at the midpoint Representing approximately 2.8% annual growth and approximately 9% total operating return.”
There’s also EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR ), which yields 6.37% and invests in amusement parks, movie theaters, ski resorts, and other recreational properties. It is about to pay a dividend of $0.295 on March 16, 2026 to shareholders of record on February 27, 2026. These dividends represent an annual dividend of $3.54 per common share.
Earnings have also strengthened. Fourth-quarter funds from operations (FFO) of $1.30 were in line with expectations. Revenue of $182.95 million, up 3.2% year over year, compared to $1.01 million. The company also introduced 2026 FFO guidance of $5.28 to $5.48. The midpoint of $5.38 is above analyst expectations of $5.30.
Well, analysts at RBC Capital just raised their price target on EPR to $59. “RBC Capital believes that EPR Properties can deploy capital as aggressively as the cost of capital allows. The REIT offers a dividend yield of 6.46% and has maintained dividend payments for 30 consecutive years,” as noted by Investing.com.
With a yield of about 5.6%, Verizon (NYSE: VZ ) is another hot, high-yielding stock to buy and forget about for a while. It also declared a dividend of $0.7075 per share, a 2.5% increase from the previous dividend of $0.69. It is payable to shareholders of record from May 1 to April 10.
Recent earnings and guidance were also strong. For the fourth quarter, EPS of $1.09 was beat by three cents. Revenue of $36.4 billion, up 2.4% year over year, broke the $200 million mark. In the quarter, the company also saw net additions of 616,000 total postpaid phones, a 22% increase and ahead of estimates of 420,491. For 2026, Verizon expects net additions of 750,000 to one million retail postpaid phones and adjusted EPS of $4.90 to $4.95, or 4% to 5% growth.
Helpfully, analysts at Raymond James raised their price target on Verizon from $56 to $50 with an outperform rating. Analysts at Scotiabank also boosted Verizon to a sector outperform, citing a price cut, with a price target of $54.50 from $50.25.
Wall Street is pouring billions into AI, but many investors are buying the wrong stocks. The analyst who first identified NVIDIA as a buyback in 2010 — before its 28,000% run — has identified just 10 new AI companies that he believes can deliver returns beyond that point. One dominates the $100 billion equipment market. Bill addresses the single biggest obstacle to maintaining AI data centers. The third segment is a net play in the optical network market that is quadrupling. Most investors haven’t heard of half of these names. Get a free list of all 10 stocks here.
