12 Best NYSE Stocks to Buy for Dividends

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%.

10. Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37

Dividend Yield as of June 28: 3.85%

Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D) provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million homes and businesses in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina.

On June 24, Morgan Stanley boosted its price recommendation on Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D) from $67 to $69, while reaffirming an ‘Equal Weight’ rating on the shares.

Morgan Stanley refreshed its valuation estimates for North American regulated utilities, diversified utilities, and independent power producers (IPPs) in its latest sector update. The analyst firm noted that the broader utilities sector declined by 5.5% in May, sharply lagging behind the 5.1% gains posted by the overall S&P during the month.

On the other hand, Barclays analyst Nicholas Campanella trimmed the firm’s price target on Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D) by $1 earlier on June 23. However, the analyst kept an ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares (read more details here).

Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D) made headlines in May following reports that the company is set to be acquired by NextEra Energy in a $66.8 billion deal that ​will create the largest regulated electric utility in the world. The transaction is expected ​to close in 12 to 18 months, subject to antitrust review, shareholder approval, and regulatory approvals.

9. Public Storage (NYSE:PSA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 3.70%

Dividend Yield as of June 28: 39

Public Storage (NYSE:PSA) is the leading provider of storage units for your personal, business, and vehicle needs with thousands of locations in the United States.

On June 23, Truist analyst Michael Lewis upped the firm’s price objective on Public Storage (NYSE:PSA) from $302 to $338, while maintaining a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The revised target implies an upside of over 4% from the current price level.

According to the analyst firm, Public Storage has recently outperformed the broader REIT sector. Despite the stock’s recent gains, Truist continues to see more upside, supported by improving fundamentals and the company’s strong, low-levered balance sheet.

Notably, Public Storage (NYSE:PSA) announced earlier on June 22 that it would acquire​Public Storage Canada, a separate company ‌operating under the same brand, in a stock-and-cash deal valued at approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction is expected to close ​in the second half of 2026.

Tom Boyle, CEO of Public Storage (NYSE:PSA), commented:

“The acquisition of PS Canada represents a strategic opportunity to expand the Public Storage platform into major Canadian markets with attractive long-term fundamentals. This portfolio includes high-quality real estate in key markets, carries the Public Storage brand, and offers meaningful upside through our PS Next™ operating platform. Together with our previously announced National Storage Affiliates Trust transaction, this acquisition demonstrates the momentum of our value creation engine and the opportunity to deploy capital into highly strategic external growth opportunities. We are grateful to Tamara Hughes Gustavson and family for the opportunity to acquire this exceptional portfolio, which was thoughtfully built and operated for many decades. We are humbled by their continued confidence in the Company through a meaningful further investment as part of this transaction.”

8. Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48

Dividend Yield as of June 28: 3.88%

Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) is a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company.

On June 25, Barclays analyst Richard Hightower slightly bumped up the firm’s price estimate on Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) from $212 to $213, while keeping an ‘Equal Weight’ rating on the shares. The target boost, which still indicates a downside of 6% from the current levels, comes as part of the analyst firm’s Q2 earnings preview for REITs.

Meanwhile, earlier on June 18, Scotiabank instead raised its price target on Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) by $14 and reaffirmed its ‘Sector Perform’ rating on the shares (read more details here).

Following a first quarter that marked “very good start to 2026”, Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) raised its full-year 2026 real estate FFO guidance to a range of $13.10 to $13.25 per share, up from its previous forecast of $13 to $13.25 per share.

7. BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 49

Dividend Yield as of June 28: 5.38%

Next on our list of the Best Dividend Stocks on NYSE is BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP). It is a British multinational company recognized worldwide for quality gasoline, transport fuels, chemicals, and alternative sources of energy such as wind and biofuels.

BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) announced on June 24 that it had signed a concession ‌agreement with ADNOC and partners to develop the Bab Gas Cap project in the UAE. The company has acquired ​a 10% stake in the concession, marking its first ​access to upstream gas resources in Abu ⁠Dhabi.

The largest gas cap development of its kind globally, the Bab Gas Cap project is expected to produce up to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of natural gas. It will support UAE gas self-sufficiency and domestic feedstock production as well as ADNOC’s LNG export expansion plans.

The announcement follows BP’s earlier update this month that it had begun commercial production of non-associated ​gas at the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field off ‌the coast of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the company disclosed that it is looking to expand its regional footprint by preparing to take over as the operator of the massive offshore Babek gas field.

6. U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51

Dividend Yield as of June 28: 3.41%

As the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States, U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) works across a diversified mix of businesses, including commercial and institutional banking, business banking, payments, wealth management, and consumer banking.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) announced on June 24 that it would raise its quarterly common stock dividend by 3.8% to $0.54 per share, subject to approval by its Board of Directors, effective in the third quarter of 2026. The move comes following the results of the Federal Reserve’s Dodd-Frank Act Stress Test (DFAST) conducted in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB)’s stress capital buffer (SCB) will remain unchanged at 2.6% until October 1, 2027. Including the Basel III minimum common equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital requirement of 4.5%, the company is also required to maintain a CET1 ratio of 7.1% or above. However, USB’s CET1 ratio was 10.8% as of March 31, significantly above the required minimum level. This allows the bank to carry out organic growth initiatives and continue capital payouts.

With an impressive annual yield of 3.41%, U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) is ranked among the 12 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy for Dividends.

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