In this article, we will take a look at the 5 Monthly Dividend Stocks To Buy and Hold Forever. For deeper discussion and analysis, have a look at the 10 Monthly Dividend Stocks To Buy and Hold Forever.
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
5. Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE:MAIN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
On April 21, Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE:MAIN) announced that it had completed a follow-on investment in an existing portfolio company, UBM ParentCo, LLC, which operates as United Business Mail. The company provides “marketing mail” commingle services and focuses on improving postage, transportation, and delivery efficiency for large-scale mailers.
Main Street, together with its co-investor, MSC Income Fund, Inc., invested to support UBM’s strategic acquisition of a national provider offering asset-light palletized mail consolidation, mail optimization services, freight brokerage, and warehousing and distribution for both B2B and B2C customers. Main Street’s share of the deal included an additional $15.6 million in first lien, senior secured term debt. Both Main Street and MSIF had initially invested in UBM in December 2025.
Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE:MAIN) is an investment firm that lends to middle-market companies, most of which are owned by or in the process of being acquired by private equity firms. It operates in a niche area and has built a strong track record over time. Since its IPO in 2007, the company has delivered total returns of 1,570% to shareholders. Over the same period, earnings per share have risen by 1,680%.
The dividend has also grown steadily. It has more than doubled since 2010. Management has shown a willingness to adjust payouts when conditions call for it, as seen during the pandemic, when preserving capital became necessary. Over the longer term, Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE:MAIN) has maintained a pattern of consistent dividend growth.
4. AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) reported its Q1 2026 earnings on April 21. During the earnings call, President, CEO, Director, and Chief Investment Officer Peter Federico said the company posted a negative economic return of 1.6% for the quarter. He linked the result to a late-quarter risk-off shift. Uncertainty around the war in Iran and the possibility of a broader Middle East conflict increased interest rate volatility, weighed on investor sentiment, and pushed Agency MBS spreads wider.
Federico also said that, at current levels, Agency MBS offer a more attractive return profile. He noted that spreads moved from about 135 basis points at the time of the Q4 call to roughly 150 to 175 basis points over the past two months. In his view, securities in that range present compelling value on both an absolute and relative basis.
Executive Vice President and CFO Bernice Bell said the company reported a comprehensive loss of $0.18 per common share for the quarter. She added that AGNC’s economic return on tangible common equity came in at negative 1.6%. This reflected $0.36 in dividends declared per share and a $0.50 decline in tangible net book value per share. Bell also pointed out that, as of late the prior week, tangible net book value per common share had recovered by about 6% in April, or around 5% after factoring in the monthly dividend accrual. She said this rebound had largely offset the decline seen in the first quarter.
On portfolio positioning, Federico highlighted a shift toward lower coupon holdings and a greater use of swap hedging. He said the portfolio’s market value stood at $95 billion at quarter-end, with $1.7 billion invested mainly in low-coupon specified pools. He also noted that the weighted average coupon declined to 4.95%, down from 5.12% in the prior quarter.
AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) invests in Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (Agency MBS). These securities carry a guarantee against credit losses from entities such as Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and Government National Mortgage Association.
3. Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
On April 21, Barclays analyst Richard Hightower raised the firm’s price recommendation on Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) to $68 from $65. It reiterated an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The update came as part of a Q1 preview for the net lease REIT group. In a research note, he described the current backdrop as a “Goldilocks” environment for much of the sector. Barclays is expecting more issuance announcements and higher acquisition volume guidance across the group.
Realty Income stands out as the leading monthly dividend payer. It refers to itself as “The Monthly Dividend Company,” having paid 669 consecutive monthly dividends as of April 2026. Since its 1994 IPO, the company has increased its dividend 132 times. Over that period, it has grown the payout at a 4.2% compound annual rate, resulting in 32 years of dividend increases as a public company.
Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) operates as a real estate investment trust. It focuses on acquiring, owning, and managing freestanding commercial properties. These properties are leased under long-term net lease agreements to a broad mix of tenants, including investment-grade, investment-grade equivalent, and other clients.
2. EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 34
EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on experiential real estate. Its portfolio includes movie theaters, eat-and-play venues, casinos, ski resorts, gaming facilities, themed lodging, amusement and water parks, and fitness centers.
The company uses triple net leases, where tenants handle insurance, maintenance, and property taxes. This structure helps keep EPR’s income more predictable. It partners with some of the largest operators in these industries, which together represent a $100 billion market opportunity. The movie theater segment, which went through a difficult stretch during the COVID-19 pandemic, has started to stabilize. EPR owns 148 theaters across North America, and this segment contributes about 36% of its annualized Adjusted EBITDA from real estate.
At the same time, EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) has been selling lower-value theaters. The focus has shifted toward areas where demand and growth trends are stronger. That shift has supported its dividend recovery. After cutting the payout by a third during the pandemic, EPR has raised it three times. The dividend is now up 24% since 2022.
1. Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE:ADC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40
Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE:ADC) reported its Q1 2026 results on April 22. During the call, President, CEO, and Director Joey Agree said the company deployed nearly $425 million across its three external growth platforms in the quarter. Of that, $403 million went into acquisitions, and these were completed at a weighted average cap rate of 7.1%, with an average lease term of 11.3 years.
He also said the company raised about $660 million of forward equity through its ATM program. Total liquidity stood at roughly $2.3 billion, alongside more than $1.6 billion in hedge capital. This included a record $1.4 billion in outstanding forward equity.
CFO, Secretary, and Investor Relations Professional Peter Coughenour reported core FFO per share of $1.13 and AFFO per share of $1.14 for the quarter. He added that the company reaffirmed its full-year 2026 AFFO per share guidance in the range of $4.54 to $4.58.
Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE:ADC) operates as an integrated REIT focused on owning, acquiring, developing, and managing retail properties that are net-leased to tenants. Its assets are held through its operating partnership, where the company serves as the sole general partner.
While we acknowledge the potential of ADC as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ADC and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 10 Best Dow Stocks to Invest In Now and 10 Best US Stocks to Invest In for Long Term
Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.
