Here's Why the Best Is Yet to Come for Realty Income

Real estate investment trust (REIT) Realty Income (NYSE: O) is a bellwether in one of the most resilient niches of the commercial real estate industry. Investors have long given it a premium price because of its impressive dividend-paying history, including monthly dividend payments and almost 28 consecutive years of annual hikes. The REIT's strong history backs up the stock market view here, but here's why Realty Income's prospects do, too.

Realty Income not only is one of the largest net lease REITs, but it just consummated a major acquisition: buying peer VEREIT in an all-stock deal for about $11 billion. That pushes Realty Income's portfolio to more than 10,000 properties and gives it an enterprise value that's more than twice that of its closest competitor. It was already the biggest name in the market -- now it's simply an industry Goliath.

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Source Fool.com