A net-lease real estate investment trust operating across all 50 U.S. states has earned an increased position in the Best High Dividend Stocks Portfolio, and its 5.67% forward yield is a central reason why. The company owns over 3,600 single-tenant commercial properties leased to everyday retailers — auto service centers, convenience stores, and quick-service restaurants — under long-term triple-net arrangements, where tenants shoulder property-level costs like taxes, insurance, and maintenance. This structural arrangement creates one of the most predictable cash flow profiles available in the REIT sector, and that predictability is precisely what underpins the dividend’s longevity. With 30+ consecutive years of dividend increases — a track record matched by only a handful of publicly traded REITs — this is a business that has made shareholder income a consistent, non-negotiable priority through multiple economic cycles.
Beyond the yield, the company has demonstrated genuine operational discipline, closing out 2025 with record acquisition volume exceeding $900 million for the year, while maintaining a portfolio occupancy rate of 98.3%. Management successfully resolved a series of tenant vacancies stemming from restaurant and furniture sector bankruptcies, re-leasing or selling those properties rather than allowing them to drag on portfolio quality. The balance sheet supports continued investment, with $1.2 billion in available liquidity and a weighted average debt maturity of nearly 11 years — a profile that reduces refinancing risk even in an uncertain rate environment. Returns potential is more moderate, with a 3-year dividend growth rate of 2% and limited analyst price target upside, but the core investment case here centers on the reliability and sustainability of the income stream rather than capital appreciation.
Increasing the position in this net-lease REIT reflects the Best High Dividend Stocks Portfolio’s core mandate of owning high-yielding, well-protected income sources backed by durable business models. The combination of yield strength, a three-decade-plus dividend growth streak, and a conservatively managed balance sheet makes this an appropriate and disciplined addition at a larger weight within a diversified income strategy.
