Yahoo Finance·2026-01-06 12:05Core Insights - Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income to investors annually, leading to substantial dividend payouts [1] - S&P Global Market Intelligence forecasts that U.S. REITs will distribute a total of $61.5 billion in dividends in 2026, representing a 4.9% increase from the previous year [1] Prologis - Prologis (NYSE: PLD) is one of the largest REITs by market capitalization, approximately $120 billion, and started 2026 with a 3.1% dividend yield [3] - S&P Global anticipates Prologis will pay $4.3 billion in dividends in 2026, marking a 10% increase from the $3.9 billion paid last year [4] - Prologis has demonstrated a strong track record of dividend growth, with a 13% compound annual growth rate over the past five years, significantly outpacing the REIT sector average of 6% and the S&P 500's 5% [4] American Tower - American Tower (NYSE: AMT) is the leading telecommunications infrastructure REIT, starting 2026 with a 3.9% dividend yield [5] - S&P Global projects that American Tower will distribute $3.4 billion in dividends in 2026, with current dividends at $1.70 per share, equating to approximately $3.2 billion annually [6] - The dividend has fluctuated in recent years, decreasing in 2024 before recovering in 2025, as the company adopted a more conservative approach to retain cash for debt reduction [7] Realty Income - Realty Income (NYSE: O) ranks as the sixth-largest global REIT, operating properties in nine countries, and currently offers a monthly dividend with a yield of 5.7% [9]