The Motley Fool·2025-10-30 08:11Core Insights - The article discusses the importance of defining specific needs for investment income and highlights three distinct dividend stocks that cater to different income-oriented investment strategies [1][2]. Realty Income - Realty Income is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in brick-and-mortar retail properties, owning 15,600 properties leased to 1,600 customers, including major retailers like 7-Eleven and Walgreens [4][5]. - The company has maintained a strong occupancy rate of 98.3% as of the second quarter, demonstrating resilience even during challenging market conditions [8]. - Realty Income has a long-standing history of reliable dividend payments, having paid monthly dividends for over 55 years and raised its per-share payout every quarter since 1997, with a forward-looking dividend yield of just under 5.4% [9]. Verizon Communications - Verizon is a telecom giant with a market cap of $170 billion, offering a starting dividend yield of 7.1% [10][12]. - The company has raised its quarterly payout for 19 consecutive years, reflecting a shift in focus towards dividend generation in a saturated telecom market [10][14]. - Despite limited growth potential due to market saturation, Verizon benefits from high consumer reliance on mobile devices, with data indicating that the average mobile phone owner checks their device 144 times daily [12][13]. Qualcomm - Qualcomm is a technology company with a market cap of $193 billion, offering a forward-looking dividend yield of 2.1% [15][17]. - The company is positioned to benefit from the growing mobile AI market, which is expected to grow at an average annualized pace of 25% through 2034, as mobile devices increasingly handle AI tasks [18][20]. - Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors are designed for high-performance, power-efficient applications, making them well-suited for the evolving demands of mobile technology [18][20].