Do REITs pay monthly dividends?
For investors seeking a steady stream of monthly income, real estate investment trusts (REITs) that pay dividends on a monthly basis emerge as a compelling financial strategy. In this article, we unravel two REITs that pay monthly dividends and have yields up to 8%.
REITs and stocks can both pay dividends, usually on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Some investments will also offer special dividends, but they're unpredictable.
| Stock | Market Capitalization | 12-month Trailing Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Gladstone Investment Corp. (GAIN) | $500 million | 6.9% |
| Modiv Industrial Inc. (MDV) | $112 million | 7.7% |
| LTC Properties Inc. (LTC) | $1.3 billion | 7.2% |
| Realty Income Corp. (O) | $44 billion | 6.4% |
| Company (ticker symbol) | Sector | Dividend yield |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties Trust (MPW) | Healthcare | 27.0% |
| Global Net Lease (GNL) | Diversified | 16.7% |
| AGNC Investment (AGNC) | Mortgage | 14.9% |
| ARMOUR Residential REIT (ARR) | Mortgage | 14.7% |
They historically offer competitive long-term performance, with consistent returns compared to stocks and bonds. REITs provide attractive income through dividends, liquidity, transparency, and diversification, enhancing risk-adjusted returns.
Reinvesting REIT dividends can help retirement savers grow their portfolio's investment, and historically steady REIT dividend income can help retirees meet their living expenses.
A REIT will be closely held if more than 50 percent of the value of its outstanding stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals at any point during the last half of the taxable year, (this is commonly referred to as the 5/50 test).
Monthly Dividend Stock #1: Realty Income
The most popular company on our list of monthly dividend stocks, Realty Income (O) has been in business since 1969 and is one of the best recession-proof stocks with dividends.
| Stock | Dividend yield | Dividend growth streak |
|---|---|---|
| Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) | 2.4% | 68 years |
| 3M Co. (MMM) | 6.5% | 65 years |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | 3.3% | 61 years |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | 3.2% | 61 years |
- Realty Income (O) ...
- SL Green (SLG) ...
- STAG Industrial (STAG) ...
- AGNC Investment (AGNC) ...
- Apple Hospitality REIT (APLE) ...
- EPR Properties (EPR) ...
- Agree Realty (ADC)
Why not to invest in REITs?
The value of a REIT is based on the real estate market, so if interest rates increase and the demand for properties goes down as a result, it could lead to lower property values, negatively impacting the value of your investment.
The majority of REIT dividends are taxed as ordinary income up to the maximum rate of 37% (returning to 39.6% in 2026), plus a separate 3.8% surtax on investment income. Taxpayers may also generally deduct 20% of the combined qualified business income amount which includes Qualified REIT Dividends through Dec.
More than a year of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve pushed down returns on real estate investment trusts, or REITs. While higher rates negatively impacted nearly every sector of the economy in 2022 and most of 2023, real estate was hit especially hard.
Over time, the cash flow generated by those dividend payments can supplement your Social Security and pension income. Perhaps, it can even provide all the money you need to maintain your preretirement lifestyle. It is possible to live off dividends if you do a little planning.
A lot of REIT investors focus too way much on the dividend yield. They think that a high dividend yield implies that a REIT is cheap and a good investment opportunity. In reality, it is often the opposite, and the dividend does not say much, if anything, about the valuation of a REIT.
Key Points. REITs have outperformed stocks on 20-to-50-year horizons. Most REITs are less volatile than the S&P 500, with some only half as volatile as the market at large.
Reinvest Your Payments
The truth is that most investors won't have the money to generate $1,000 per month in dividends; not at first, anyway. Even if you find a market-beating series of investments that average 3% annual yield, you would still need $400,000 in up-front capital to hit your targets. And that's okay.
At that rate of return, a monthly investment of $300 in REITs would grow into $1 million in about 30 years. If you invested more money into REITs or those producing a higher average annual return, you could become a millionaire even faster.
Can You Lose Money on a REIT? As with any investment, there is always a risk of loss. Publicly traded REITs have the particular risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.
According to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit), non-traded REITs typically require a minimum investment of $1,000 to $2,500.
How much of my portfolio should be in REITs?
“I recommend REITs within a managed portfolio,” Devine said, noting that most investors should limit their REIT exposure to between 2 percent and 5 percent of their overall portfolio. Here again, a financial professional can help you determine what percentage of your portfolio you should allocate toward REITs, if any.
Finally, a REIT is not a pass-through entity. This means that, unlike a partnership, a REIT cannot pass any tax losses through to its investors. Consider consulting your tax adviser before investing in REITs.
The Coca-Cola Company ( KO ) pays dividends on a quarterly basis. The Coca-Cola Company ( KO ) has increased its dividends for 52 consecutive years. This is a positive sign of the company's financial stability and its ability to pay consistent dividends in the future.
Realty Income (O 1.09%), Prologis (PLD -7.09%), and Camden Property Trust (CPT 0.31%) stand out as three of the top options for income-seeking investors. Their bigger payouts enable investors to produce more income from every dollar they invest, maximizing their income production.
Dividends can be classified either as ordinary or qualified. Whereas ordinary dividends are taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividends that meet certain requirements are taxed at lower capital gain rates.
