In this article, we are going to discuss the 12 best NYSE stocks to buy for dividends.
Dividend stocks have long attracted investors looking for a reliable source of income. They also continue to draw attention from market analysts. Jerry Kerns, Morningstar’s editor in chief, said dividend investing is centered on earning regular income from investments. Those payments may come every month, every quarter, or once a year. He said this is one of the biggest reasons the strategy appeals to investors, especially retirees.
Kerns explained that a steady dividend gives investors something they can plan around. They know when the money is likely to arrive. That makes future expenses easier to manage. He also pointed out that dividends are actual cash paid into an investor’s account, unlike stock price gains, which remain on paper until shares are sold. In his view, that difference gives investors greater confidence when markets become volatile.
He also said dividends can provide a sense of stability. If a company is not facing financial trouble, its dividend is likely to remain in place even if the market falls sharply or swings from one day to the next. Investors may see their portfolio value change, but they can still expect the same dividend payment.
Kerns said this often changes how people react during difficult markets. Many investors sell their stocks when prices drop. Dividend investors are less likely to panic because they expect their income to continue, unless something catastrophic happens to the business.
He added that investors who want higher dividend income often buy more dividend-paying stocks. The more shares they own, the more income they can receive. Over time, he said, that can work in their favor.
With that said, here are the Best NYSE Dividends Stocks to Buy Now.
Our Methodology
To collect data for this article, we referred to screeners to identify stocks listed on the NYSE and then shortlisted the ones that had an annual dividend yield of over 3%, as of June 28. We then ranked these stocks by the number of hedge funds invested in them at the end of Q1 2026, as per the Insider Monkey database. We kept our final selection limited to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. The following are the Best NYSE Dividend Stocks According to Hedge Funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Insider Monkey’s quarterly newsletter strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 599.2% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 372 percentage points (see more details here).
12. Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 32
Dividend Yield as of June 28: 5.13%
Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) focuses on acquiring and managing high-quality, single-unit freestanding commercial properties under long-term, net lease agreements leased to leading global operators. The company manages a portfolio of 15,500 properties in all 50 US states, the UK, and eight other countries in Europe.
On June 18, Scotiabank cut its price objective on Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) from $72 to $67, but maintained its ‘Outperform’ rating on the shares. The lowered target still indicates an upside of over 6% from the current levels.
The analyst firm believes that REIT valuations have become less compelling after a strong start to the year. As a result, it adjusted its subsector preferences based on its “relative valuation-versus-growth framework”.
While Scotiabank continues to favor seniors housing the most, it also upgraded its outlook on self-storage and net lease from ‘Marketweight’ to ‘Overweight’. At the same time, it downgraded its views on industrial and shopping centers from ‘Overweight’ to ‘Marketweight’, citing relative valuation concerns.
In its latest earnings call, Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) increased its full-year 2026 investment volume guidance to $9.5 billion at 100% ownership. Moreover, it raised its AFFO per share guidance range to between $4.41 and $4.44.
11. Edison International (NYSE:EIX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35
Dividend Yield as of June 28: 4.64%
Edison International (NYSE:EIX) is one of the largest electric utility holding companies in America, focused on providing clean and reliable energy and energy services through its independent companies.
On June 24, Morgan Stanley lifted its price objective on Edison International (NYSE:EIX) from $64 to $66, but maintained its ‘Underweight’ rating on the shares. The target boost still implies a downside of almost 13% from the current price level.
Morgan Stanley adjusted its price objectives for North American Regulated & Diversified Utilities / IPPs as part of its monthly update. The firm highlighted that the overall utilities sector posted a decline of 5.5% in May, significantly lagging behind the gains of around 5.1% delivered by the broader S&P during the month.
Also on June 24, Edison International (NYSE:EIX) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.8775 per share. The dividend is payable on July 31 to shareholders as of the July 7 record. The utility has grown its payouts for 22 consecutive years and currently boasts a robust annual yield of 4.64%.
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