Investing in stocks. It’s a curious business, isn’t it? You spend hours researching, poring over charts that look suspiciously like abstract art, and then, at the very last moment, your hand hovers over the ‘buy’ button like it’s a detonator. A little anxiety is perfectly normal, even with companies that generously share their profits in the form of dividends. In fact, sometimes a particularly generous dividend yield just amplifies the worry – as if the market is shouting, “There’s a reason this is so high!” I’ve been there, naturally. But there are a few stocks I’d happily buy right now, and then promptly forget about, confident they’ll just quietly get on with the business of making money. Here are three of them.
1. Brookfield Infrastructure
Brookfield Infrastructure is, technically, two stocks. A quirk of financial engineering, really. For years, there was only Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP +0.17%), a sort of limited partnership. These can be perfectly fine, but some investors dislike the tax implications. So, in 2020, Brookfield created Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (BIPC 1.45%) – essentially the same business, but structured differently. It’s like offering the same holiday package with either a seaside bungalow or a slightly more luxurious hotel room. Both get you to the beach.
Both BIP and BIPC offer very respectable dividends. BIP’s forward yield is creeping up towards 5%, while BIPC’s is a touch over 4.2%. And they’ve been increasing those dividends for 17 years running. Which, when you think about it, is a remarkable achievement. Maintaining that kind of consistency requires a level of competence that’s frankly a little intimidating. They target annual growth of 5-9%, keeping a sensible payout ratio of 60-70%.
The secret? A truly diverse portfolio of infrastructure assets. They own everything from cell towers (which, let’s face it, we all rely on far too much) to data centers (the modern equivalent of vast libraries, only filled with cat videos) and even toll roads. They have investments in electricity transmission, pipelines, and even semiconductor foundries. It’s a global operation, and the sheer scale of it is genuinely impressive.
2. Enbridge
Enbridge (ENB 1.13%) is a pipeline company, and if you’re picturing a single, lonely pipe snaking across the landscape, you’d be wildly off. They operate 18,085 miles of pipeline, transporting roughly 30% of the crude oil produced in North America. That’s enough pipe to circle the Earth more than three times, which is a slightly alarming thought. And they have another 70,273 miles of natural gas pipeline. It’s a vast network, and it’s utterly essential to the continent’s energy supply.
But Enbridge is more than just pipelines. They’re also a major utility, the largest natural gas distributor in North America, serving over 7 million customers and delivering roughly 9.3 billion cubic feet of gas per day. That’s enough to power a small city, or a very enthusiastic collection of toasters.
Stability is the word that springs to mind. They’ve increased their dividend for 31 consecutive years, currently yielding 5.3%. And they’ve met or exceeded their financial guidance for 20 years. Twenty years! In the world of finance, that’s practically an eternity. It’s the kind of stock you can buy, forget about, and reasonably expect to still be generating income when you’re collecting your pension. They also have around $50 billion in potential growth projects planned, which suggests they’re not planning on resting on their laurels anytime soon.
3. Realty Income
Not all my favorite high-yield stocks are in the energy sector. Realty Income (O 2.70%) is a Real Estate Investment Trust, or REIT, which means they own a lot of properties – over 15,500, spread across the US, the UK, and Europe. They’re essentially landlords, but on a much, much larger scale.
Like Enbridge, Realty Income is remarkably stable. Their portfolio is diversified, focusing on tenants in relatively recession-proof industries: grocery stores, convenience stores, home improvement retailers, and dollar stores. These aren’t glamorous businesses, but they’re consistently profitable. They structure their leases to be long-term and shift most of the costs – property taxes, insurance, maintenance – to the tenants. This stability has allowed them to outperform the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) in 11 out of 13 market downturns since 1994. Which, statistically, is rather impressive.
REITs typically pay high dividends, and Realty Income is no exception, currently yielding over 5.1%. They’ve increased their dividend for 31 consecutive years, and for 113 consecutive quarters. And, uniquely, they pay their dividend monthly. It’s a nice touch, and makes it feel like you’re getting a little reward every four weeks. They also see attractive growth opportunities in Europe, where the market is larger and less competitive than in the US.
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2026-03-22 11:44