I have been building my stock portfolio for most of my adult life, and have positions in about 40 different companies right now. I own different stocks for different reasons. Some are exciting growth opportunities, some are tried-and-true winners, and some are excellent income investments.

One stock in particular that has all of these characteristics is Realty Income (NYSE: O). It was actually the first dividend-paying stock I ever bought, and I've added to my position significantly over the years. In fact, Realty Income is the largest single holding in my portfolio, and if I were only allowed to buy one stock, it would likely be the one I'd choose.

Realty Income is a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that specializes in freestanding (single-tenant) properties. About 80% of its tenants are retail businesses, but it has significant holdings in industrial and agricultural properties as well, and it recently entered the market for gambling industry properties.

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Source Fool.com