When paychecks stop, a portfolio has to pull its own weight, and the 10-year Treasury now sets a brutally high bar for any dividend stock trying to justify its place in a retirement account.
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The ultra-high-yield reading partly reflects a 12.25% slide in the share price over the past month as Treasury yields rose. On the measure that fits a REIT, the payout looks comfortable: the $3.258 forward dividend equals about 73% of 2026 AFFO guidance of $4.44 to $4.45 per share. The company has now raised its dividend for 115 consecutive quarters and carries an ‘A’ rating from Fitch.
Verizon
- Forward Yield: 6.16%
- Shares for $200,000: 4,355.40
- Annual Passive Income: ~$12,326
The largest U.S. wireless carrier, Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) now runs a much larger fiber network after closing its Frontier acquisition on January 20, 2026. The yield is high because telecom is capital-intensive, revenue growth is slow, and the company carries $136.5 billion in unsecured debt.
Earnings coverage is the strongest in this group. The $2.83 annualized dividend equals roughly 56% to 57% of raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $4.99 to $5.04. On the July call, CFO Tony Skiadas said, “The dividend is still ironclad for us,” and 2026 marked Verizon’s 20th consecutive year of dividend increases. Verizon also expanded its buyback authorization to up to $4.5 billion.
Altria
- Forward Yield: 6.29%
- Shares for $200,000: 2,834.47
- Annual Passive Income: ~$12,585
Altria (NYSE:MO) is the largest U.S. tobacco company. Marlboro anchors its smokeable division, which brought in $4.66 billion of second-quarter revenue, and Copenhagen, Skoal, and more! make up its oral tobacco <a equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad, diverse career, including a stint as creative services director at an NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry.
Lee Jackson’s journey in the financial industry spans more than 30 years, including nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career spanned pivotal sell-side Wall Street events, from the dot-com rise and bubble to the Long-Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This reflects his resilience and adaptability amid market volatility.
Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, gained through a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing across various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies of Wall Street in a way only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.
Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.
