Core News Facts
Realty Income (NYSE: O) and NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) are highlighted as top dividend paying stocks for 2026. Realty Income offers a dividend yield of 5.72% and a market cap of $52.1 billion, having increased dividends for over 30 years. The company, founded in 1969, focuses on stable tenants and has 15,500 properties primarily in the U.S. Meanwhile, NextEra Energy has a dividend yield of 2.83% with a market cap of $167 billion, being the largest electric utility in the U.S. and the world’s leading producer of renewable energy.
The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates six times since September 2024, predicting further cuts in 2026, which is expected to boost the performance of dividend-paying stocks. The decline in interest rates positions dividend stocks favorably against fixed-income investments, prompting increased demand which typically lifts share prices.
As of December 22, 2025, both stocks have shown solid year-to-date returns, with Realty Income at 12.2% and NextEra at 14.3% for 2025. Realty Income has a 20-year stock return of 633%, while NextEra boasts an impressive 1,290% over the same period.
