Prediction: These 2 Top Stocks Will Be the Largest REIT Dividend Payers in 2026

Industry Overview - Real estate investment trusts (REITs) paid out over $70 billion in dividends in 2024, with expectations for continued growth in 2026 [1] - Prologis and American Tower are predicted to lead the sector in total dividend payments in 2026 [1] Prologis (PLD) - Prologis has a market capitalization of nearly $120 billion and paid almost $3.9 billion in dividends last year, supported by $5.6 billion in core funds from operations (FFO) [2] - The current quarterly dividend is $1.01 per share, annualized to $4.04, with a 5% increase implemented last February [3] - Prologis expects core FFO per share to rise from $5.86 last year to a range of $6.05 to $6.25 in 2026, indicating a 3% to 7% increase [5] - A further 5% dividend increase is anticipated in 2026, leading to an estimated total payout of around $4.1 billion [5] American Tower (AMT) - American Tower has a market capitalization of nearly $84 billion and currently pays $1.70 per share in dividends, totaling about $3.2 billion annually [6] - The company generated $984 million in free cash flow after capital expenditures in the third quarter, indicating strong cash flow to support dividends [6] - American Tower aims for mid-single digit annual dividend growth and is expected to raise its dividend by about 5% this year, increasing total outlay to nearly $3.4 billion [11]