This Dividend Stock Is a Safe Bet, Regardless of Market Conditions

The past 28 years have been pretty eventful, including several market crashes and a couple of recessions, among other headwinds. But Realty Income (NYSE: O) hasn't skipped a beat, paying its monthly dividend through thick and thin. And on top of that, Realty Income has increased the payment every single year during that span, making it a Dividend Aristocrat, one of a small number of companies that have raised their dividends for 25 consecutive years or more. If that sounds attractive, now add a 4.2% dividend yield to the mix.

Here's why you'll love this landlord, no matter what's going on in the market.

The base of Realty Income's portfolio is single-tenant properties where the tenants are responsible for most of the operating costs of the buildings they occupy. This is what's known as a net-lease property in the real estate investment trust (REIT) industry. Although there's notable risk at each individual property, because only one tenant is involved, net-lease investing is fairly low risk if spread over a large portfolio. Realty Income is the market leader in the net-lease industry with more than 10,000 properties.

Source Fool.com