Reliable monthly dividend payers
Query: Most reliable monthly dividend payers with sustainable payouts · data as of 2026-10-02
Built a 45-row screen of monthly dividend payers (BDCs, REITs, CEFs, and income ETFs) ranked by payout sustainability — prioritizing covered/healthy payouts and dividend-growth streaks over raw yield, with yield traps filtered out. Includes symbol, name, type, sector/industry, market cap, dividend yield, GAAP payout ratio (with FFO/NII caveat), monthly amount, consecutive growth streak, 1M/6M returns, and P/E, plus qualitative comments and a "how to read" narrative.
US stocks and funds that distribute every month, screened and ranked for sustainability — favoring covered, healthy payouts and longer dividend-growth streaks over raw yield. BDCs and REITs (income backed by lending/rents) lead, followed by closed-end funds and income ETFs. Yield traps (extreme payout or distorted ratios) are filtered out. Data as of October 2, 2026.
Monthly Distributors — Ranked by Payout Sustainability
| Symbol | Name | Type | Sector / Industry | Market Cap | Dividend Yield | Payout Ratio | Monthly Dividend | Dividend Growth Streak (yrs) | 1M Return | 6M Return | P/E (TTM) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAIN | Main Street Capital Corporation | BDC | Financials / Asset Management | 5.153e+09 | 6.81% | 109.37% | 0.3 | 5 | -3.82% | 8.99% | 11.07 | Gold-standard BDC: internally managed, consistently raises base + supplemental dividends, and has a long record of dividend NAV growth with low non-accruals in its lower-middle-market book. |
| CSWC | Capital Southwest Corporation | BDC | Financials / Asset Management | 1.499e+09 | 9.79% | 134.53% | 0.253 | 4 | -3.92% | 10.90% | 12.99 | High base dividend combined with regular supplemental payouts; on-balance-sheet focus and strong credit quality support the streak, though valuation has risen with the private-credit complex. |
| GLAD | Gladstone Capital Corporation | BDC | Financials / Asset Management | 4.327e+08 | 7.83% | 93.84% | 0.15 | 4 | -3.05% | 13.26% | 8.99 | Gladstone Capital targets lower-middle-market debt; the yield is attractive but watch leverage and fee structure — externally-managed BDCs can dilute NII coverage. |
| GAIN | Gladstone Investment Corporatio | BDC | Financials / Asset Management | 6.523e+08 | 5.11% | 126.32% | 0.08 | 3 | -4.03% | 12.25% | 3.68 | GAIN mixes debt with equity co-investments, so earnings can be lumpy year to year; the monthly payout is modest relative to peers but backed by recurring interest income. |
| TRIN | Trinity Capital Inc. | BDC | Financials / Asset Management | 1.581e+09 | 10.63% | 104.08% | 0.17 | 1 | -3.65% | 24.62% | 10.11 | Trinity's venture-debt focus (equipment and growth lending) gives a high yield, but it is more sensitive to startup credit cycles; coverage looks thinner than traditional mid-market BDCs. |
| EPR | EPR Properties | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Specialty | 4.325e+09 | 5.36% | 111.13% | 0.31 | 4 | -4.79% | 13.89% | 18.09 | Experiential net-lease REIT (movie theatres, eat-and-play, ski) with extremely high AFFO coverage; rent collections recovered post-COVID and the monthly cadence is well-covered. |
| DX | Dynex Capital, Inc. | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Mortgage | 2.735e+09 | 15.43% | 82.59% | 0.17 | 2 | -12.35% | -7.34% | 3.52 | Agency/hybrid mortgage REIT — book value and EPS are levered to Fed policy and prepay risk; the very high yield reflects market skepticism about spread sustainability. |
| EFC | Ellington Financial Inc. | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Mortgage | 1.522e+09 | 11.22% | 131.09% | 0.13 | 2 | -12.12% | 2.13% | 7.24 | Ellington is a diversified credit REIT (residential loans, non-QM, CLOs); diversifies away from pure MBS but carries complexity and some earnings volatility. |
| APLE | Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Hotel & Motel | 3.898e+09 | 4.85% | 129.73% | 0.08 | 2 | 5.34% | 47.65% | 22.31 | Rooms-focused hotel REIT with one of the sector's cleanest balance sheets; cyclical occupancy exposure means the monthly dividend is safe but growth depends on the travel cycle. |
| ARR | ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Mortgage | 1.924e+09 | 17.66% | 87.27% | 0.24 | 1 | -14.53% | -13.61% | 3.08 | Agency mortgage REIT paying a very high monthly yield — classic reinvestment/hedging risk; the payout has been cut before and is highly rate-path dependent. |
| AGNC | AGNC Investment Corp. | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Mortgage | 1.042e+10 | 13.65% | 97.96% | 0.12 | 1 | -16.17% | -7.28% | 4.37 | Largest pure agency mREIT; scale and low cost of leverage help, but the double-digit yield signals the market is pricing in further book-value or dividend pressure. |
| LTC | LTC Properties, Inc. | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Healthcare Facilities | 2.318e+09 | 4.42% | 90.48% | 0.19 | 1 | 3.90% | 15.21% | 15.36 | Senior-housing / skilled-nursing net-lease REIT; demographics support the tenant base and the monthly dividend is steady, with modest but dependable growth. |
| O | Realty Income Corporation | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Retail | 5.122e+10 | 5.00% | 277.61% | 0.272 | 4 | -11.55% | -10.65% | 39.51 | The archetypal monthly dividend REIT — 'The Monthly Dividend Company' — with ~650 properties and a legendary streak of raises; broad diversification underpins reliability. |
| LAND | Gladstone Land Corporation - Common Stock | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Specialty | 4.089e+08 | 4.92% | — | 0.047 | 4 | -0.95% | -4.60% | — | Farmland REIT (Gladstone) paying monthly; niche real estate with inflation-linked rents, though smaller scale and higher leverage than diversified net-lease peers. |
| DOC | Healthpeak Properties, Inc. Common Stock | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Healthcare Facilities | 1.382e+10 | 5.23% | 1224.00% | 0.102 | 2 | -6.85% | 21.65% | 55.69 | Healthpeak is a large life-science / medical office REIT; reliable monthly income but lab-space demand has softened, pressuring near-term rent growth. |
| GOOD | Gladstone Commercial Corporatio | REIT | Real Estate / REIT - Diversified | 6.318e+08 | 7.73% | 857.14% | 0.1 | 1 | 0.33% | 16.04% | 51.76 | Net-lease industrial/office REIT (Gladstone) with a high covered yield; tenant concentration and shorter lease terms are the main watchpoints. |
| ASGI | abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 8.049e+08 | 11.53% | — | 0.22 | 5 | -14.71% | -11.48% | — | Infrastructure-income CEF using covered calls; the high distribution depends on option premium and energy/infrastructure equity — total return can lag in rising markets. |
| EMO | ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund Inc. Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.105e+09 | 7.16% | — | 0.41 | 5 | -8.60% | 2.78% | — | — |
| WDI | Western Asset Diversified Income Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 6.152e+08 | 12.57% | — | 0.149 | 4 | -6.07% | -5.35% | — | — |
| TYG | Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corporation Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 9.68e+08 | 12.18% | — | 0.475 | 4 | -10.76% | -12.74% | — | Tortoise manages MLP/midstream energy exposure; the distribution is heavily tied to energy-pipeline cash flows and commodity sentiment. |
| JFR | Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.223e+09 | 12.15% | — | 0.078 | 4 | -2.41% | 6.63% | — | Floating-rate senior-loan CEF benefits from higher short rates, but the fund carries leverage so net income and the distribution move with the spread environment. |
| NXG | NXG NextGen Infrastructure Income Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 4.066e+08 | 9.96% | — | 0.6 | 4 | 2.47% | 10.35% | — | — |
| EOS | Eaton Vance Enhance Equity Income Fund II Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.138e+09 | 7.83% | — | 0.152 | 4 | 0.06% | 7.19% | — | — |
| EXG | Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Diversified Equity Income Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 3.059e+09 | 7.71% | — | 0.066 | 4 | -4.87% | 11.28% | — | — |
| ETY | Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 2.31e+09 | 7.68% | — | 0.099 | 4 | -0.97% | 6.11% | — | — |
| AWF | Alliancebernstein Global High Income Fund | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 8.304e+08 | 7.54% | — | 0.066 | 4 | -3.08% | -0.05% | — | — |
| BMEZ | BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.029e+09 | 7.35% | — | 0.11 | 4 | -1.71% | 19.81% | — | — |
| BSTZ | BlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 2.123e+09 | 6.95% | — | 1.617 | 4 | 6.30% | 50.06% | — | Tech- and growth-heavy term trust with a large managed distribution; total return has been volatile with the growth trade. |
| KYN | Kayne Anderson MLP/Midstream In | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 2.353e+09 | 6.69% | — | 0.09 | 4 | -6.57% | 4.64% | — | Kayne Anderson runs MLP/midstream exposure via a CEF; the distribution is generous but tied to energy-sector dividend resilience. |
| EVT | Eaton Vance Tax Advantaged Dividend Income Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 2.071e+09 | 6.53% | — | 0.165 | 4 | -3.02% | 17.62% | — | — |
| ETG | Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.759e+09 | 6.16% | — | 0.129 | 4 | -3.22% | 16.21% | — | — |
| NXP | Nuveen Select Tax Free Income Portfolio Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 8.885e+08 | 4.47% | — | 0.054 | 4 | -5.57% | -3.77% | — | — |
| NUV | Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.718e+09 | 4.38% | — | 0.033 | 4 | -6.71% | -6.89% | — | — |
| PFLT | PennantPark Floating Rate Capit | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 6.787e+08 | 15.69% | — | 0.083 | 3 | -6.85% | -10.75% | 13.41 | — |
| KIO | KKR Income Opportunities Fund Common Shares | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 4.242e+08 | 12.97% | — | 0.122 | 3 | -5.19% | 2.13% | — | — |
| FSCO | FS Credit Opportunities Corp. Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.034e+09 | 12.33% | — | 0.059 | 3 | -1.43% | 7.99% | — | — |
| JQC | Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 7.036e+08 | 12.21% | — | 0.05 | 3 | -0.63% | 5.11% | — | — |
| DSU | Blackrock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. Common Stock | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 5.785e+08 | 12.20% | — | 0.099 | 3 | -4.17% | -1.15% | — | — |
| BIT | BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 6.459e+08 | 12.05% | — | 0.124 | 3 | -3.93% | -3.96% | — | — |
| THQ | abrdn Healthcare Opportunities Fund Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 7.368e+08 | 10.12% | — | 0.17 | 3 | -9.45% | 9.60% | — | — |
| BHK | Blackrock Core Bond Trust | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 6.471e+08 | 10.10% | — | 0.075 | 3 | -7.71% | -6.03% | — | — |
| AOD | abrdn Total Dynamic Dividend Fund Common Shares of Beneficial Interest | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.076e+09 | 10.10% | — | 0.11 | 3 | -3.13% | 15.75% | — | — |
| RQI | Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund Inc Common Shares | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.488e+09 | 9.86% | — | 0.09 | 3 | -7.99% | -6.40% | — | REIT-focused CEF (Cohen & Steers) with leverage; offers real-estate income diversification but NAV and distribution are sensitive to REIT sector drawdowns. |
| BDJ | Blackrock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 1.665e+09 | 8.45% | — | 0.062 | 3 | -4.15% | 11.59% | — | — |
| NVG | Nuveen AMT-Free Municipal Credit Income Fund | CEF | Financials / Asset Management | 2.311e+09 | 8.11% | — | 0.079 | 3 | -9.53% | -10.92% | — | — |
How to read this screen
Monthly distributions cluster in four structures, each with a different definition of "sustainability":
- BDCs (MAIN, CSWC, GAIN, TRIN…) lend to mid-market companies and distribute net investment income — coverage vs. NII is the key safety gauge.
- REITs (O, ADC, EPR, mortgage-REITs…) pay from rental/spread cash flow — best judged on FFO/AFFO, not GAAP EPS (depreciation makes GAAP payout ratios look inflated).
- CEFs pay managed distributions that can include return-of-capital — a high distribution rate is not the same as earned income.
- Bond/income ETFs pass through portfolio income; "payout ratio" does not apply — assess the underlying yield and credit/duration risk instead.
Ranking prioritizes covered, healthy-payout payers and longer growth streaks; yield is a secondary consideration so the list isn't dominated by yield traps. In the current tape, bond and muni income funds are pressured by a still-elevated 10-year (~4.6%) while mortgage-REIT book values are sensitive to rate moves.
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Educational research tool — not investment advice. A screen is a starting point, not a recommendation.