The stock market, as a whole, currently offers about the same return as leaving your money under a mattress – which, admittedly, is becoming a more attractive proposition for some. The S&P 500, that famously broad measure of American capitalism, is yielding a rather paltry 1.1%. But fear not, because there are corners of the market where a little diligence can yield (if you’ll pardon the expression) a substantially better return. I’ve been poking around, and three companies in particular – Enterprise Products Partners, Realty Income, and Hormel Foods – are currently offering yields that, while not exactly lavish, are at least… noticeable. Let’s have a look, shall we?
1. Enterprise Products Partners
Enterprise Products Partners, it turns out, is a bit of a behemoth in the world of midstream energy. Which is to say, they own a lot of pipes and tanks and things that move oil and gas around. Now, you might think that a company so closely tied to fossil fuels would be a bit… precarious, given the current global mood. But here’s the clever bit: they don’t actually care about the price of oil and gas. They charge a fee for moving it. It’s like being a toll booth operator on the highway of hydrocarbons. Demand for the highway is what matters, not the price of the cars. It’s a surprisingly stable business, and they’ve been rewarding investors with distributions for, well, a very long time. They’ve increased those distributions annually for 27 years. That’s a lot of years, even for a company that deals in things that have been around for rather longer than us.
Currently, they’re yielding around 6%. It’s not going to make you a millionaire overnight, but it’s a decent, reliable income stream, and frankly, in these uncertain times, that’s worth something.
2. Realty Income
Realty Income, as the name suggests, is in the business of, well, real estate. But not just any real estate. They own over 15,500 properties, mostly retail, spread across North America and Europe. That’s a lot of shops and restaurants and, increasingly, data centers. They operate on a ‘net lease’ model, which means the tenants pay the property taxes, insurance, and maintenance. Realty Income essentially collects the rent and pockets the difference. It’s a remarkably simple business model. They’ve also been dipping their toes into the asset management side of things, which, while slightly more complicated, suggests a certain ambition.
They’ve been increasing their dividend annually for three decades, and they’ve even trademarked the nickname “The Monthly Dividend Company.” Which is a bit much, perhaps, but it does highlight their commitment to returning capital to shareholders. They yield around 4.6% at the moment, which, while not extravagant, is a solid return in a world where interest rates are, shall we say, historically challenged.
3. The Hormel Foods Corporation
Hormel Foods is, admittedly, the trickiest one on this list. They make Spam, among other things. And bacon. And a bewildering array of processed meats. They’re a consumer staples company, which means people will keep buying their products even when the economy is in the doldrums. However, they’ve been having a bit of a rough patch lately, struggling to pass on rising costs to consumers. This has crimped their profits and sent their stock price tumbling. Which, paradoxically, has pushed the dividend yield up to a rather attractive 4.6%.
They’ve brought back a former CEO to try and turn things around, and they’ve recently reported five consecutive quarters of increasing organic sales, which suggests they might be stabilizing. And, crucially, they’ve increased their dividend every year for 60 years. Sixty years! That’s a remarkable record, and it suggests they’re confident in their long-term prospects. It’s a bit of a gamble, perhaps, but sometimes a little risk is worth a little extra reward.
Three high-yield options to boost your passive income right now
If you’re looking to generate a bit more income from your portfolio, then Enterprise Products Partners, Realty Income, and Hormel Foods are worth a closer look. They each have strong businesses, impressive dividend histories, and, yes, reasonably large yields. They’re not going to make you rich, but they might just make your retirement a little more comfortable. And in the current climate, that’s a significant achievement.
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2026-02-25 06:12