3 High-Yield Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist in January

2026-01-29 07:23:00 ET

The S&P 500 index offers a paltry 1.1% dividend yield. By that standard, even consumer products giant Procter & Gamble 's (NYSE: PG) 2.8% yield looks lofty. Here's why dividend lovers may want to consider P&G, and the even higher yields on offer from real estate-focused Realty Income (NYSE: O) and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) , as January comes to an end.

Realty Income's dividend yield is 5.3%. The monthly pay dividend has been increased annually for 30 years. The dividend is backed by the real estate investment trust's (REIT's) investment-grade-rated balance sheet and a generally conservative management approach.

If you're a conservative dividend investor , Realty Income could be a cornerstone investment. There's just one problem. It is so large, with a portfolio of over 15,500 properties, that it is a slow-moving industry giant. To put a figure on that, the dividend has grown at a compound annual rate of 4.2% over the past three decades. That keeps pace with, or slightly exceeds, inflation, but slow and steady is the name of the game with Realty Income.

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