Here's My Top Dividend Stock for 2026

Group 1 - W.P. Carey cut its dividend in 2023 after 24 consecutive years of increases, aiming to position itself as a stronger net lease REIT for the future [1][5][6] - Realty Income is recognized as the leading net lease REIT with a market cap of $52 billion and a 5.7% dividend yield, making it a foundational investment choice [2][3] - W.P. Carey, with a market cap of $14.5 billion, is expected to provide more growth opportunities compared to Realty Income due to its ability to make impactful investments with less capital [4][8] Group 2 - The decision to reduce the dividend was linked to W.P. Carey's exit from the office property sector, which was a significant part of its portfolio [5][8] - Following the dividend cut, W.P. Carey resumed its quarterly dividend increases, indicating strong financial performance and validating the decision to cut the dividend [6][7] - In the third quarter of 2025, W.P. Carey's adjusted funds from operations (FFO) per share increased by 5.9%, outperforming Realty Income's 2.9% growth [8]