Can You Retire on Dividends Alone? 3 Stocks That Prove It’s Possible

Core Insights - The article explores the feasibility of retiring on dividend income in Singapore, emphasizing the importance of portfolio size, yield sustainability, and personal financial needs [1] Parkway Life REIT (SGX: C2PU) - Parkway Life REIT is one of Asia's largest healthcare REITs, known for its reliable dividend payments due to stable tenant cash flows and long leases [3][8] - The REIT's distribution per unit (DPU) has increased from S$0.0632 in 2007 to S$0.1492 in 2024, more than doubling over the years [4] - As of mid-2025, the trailing 12-month DPU is S$0.1503, resulting in a dividend yield of approximately 3.7% based on a unit price of S$4.05 [5] - The REIT maintains near-100% occupancy across its properties and has a long Weighted Average Lease to Expiry (WALE) of 14.68 years, providing steady rental income [6][7] - A healthy gearing ratio of 35.8% and 86% of interest rate exposure hedged contribute to its financial stability [7] Singapore Exchange (SGX: S68) - SGX operates as a market infrastructure business, generating recurring fee income and maintaining consistent profitability through market cycles [9] - The annual dividend payout for FY2025 is S$0.375 per share, with a trailing annual dividend yield of 2.2% [10] - SGX's diversified revenue streams include equities and derivatives, with net revenue from the equities-cash segment increasing by 18.7% YoY [11] - The company is expected to increase dividends by S$0.0025 quarterly from FY2026 to FY2028, subject to board approval [10] DBS Group Holdings (SGX: D05) - DBS Group is the largest bank in Singapore, reporting a net profit of S$2.9 billion for 3Q2025, despite macroeconomic challenges [13][14] - The bank's commercial book net interest income rose by 3% quarter on quarter, demonstrating resilience [14] - DBS has paid S$2.85 per share in dividends over the last 12 months, with a trailing annual dividend yield of 5.2% [15] - The bank also offers capital return dividends and special dividends, contributing to its appeal for retirees [16] Dividend Strategy for Retirement - A portfolio of S$600,000 split among the three stocks could yield an annual dividend income of S$22,200, assuming constant yields [17] - Shifting to higher-yielding stocks could increase annual dividends to S$30,000, highlighting the importance of diversification [18] - Sustainable dividend investing focuses on quality companies rather than merely chasing high yields, as demonstrated by the strong fundamentals of Parkway, SGX, and DBS [20]