The Best High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy With $1,000 Right Now

By Matt DiLallo – Mar 1, 2026 at 12:25PM ESTKey PointsDividend growth stocks have historically delivered the highest total returns. Realty Income has increased its dividend for 31 straight years.

Main Street Capital has grown its monthly dividend by 136% since its 2007 IPO. The best high-yielding dividend stocks do one thing exceptionally well. They grow their dividends. Over the last half-century, dividend growth stocks have delivered significantly higher total returns (dividend income plus price appreciation) than companies that didn't increase their dividends or don't pay them. Realty Income (O +1.19%) and Main Street Capital (MAIN 2.31%) have extensive track records of increasing their high-yielding dividends. That makes them some of the best high-yielding dividend stocks to buy for those with $1,000 to invest right now. Image source: Getty Images. More than three decades of dividend growth Realty Income has a simple mission. The real estate investment trust (REIT) aims to pay a dependable, steadily growing monthly dividend. It has certainly delivered on that goal over the years. Realty Income has increased its dividend for 31 consecutive years, including for the past 113 quarters in a row. It has grown its payout at a 4.2% compound annual rate during that time frame. That has helped drive its robust 13.3% compound annual total return since its stock market listing in 1994. The REIT's monthly dividend currently yields 4.8%, more than triple the S&P 500's level (1.1%). At that rate, Realty Income could turn a $1,000 investment into about $48 in annual dividend income (roughly $4 per month). ExpandNYSE: ORealty IncomeToday's Change(1.19%) $0.79Current Price$67.12Key Data PointsMarket Cap$62BDay's Range$66.56 - $67.9352wk Range$50.71 - $67.94Volume415KAvg Vol6.6MGross Margin48.73%Dividend Yield5.22% Realty Income is in an excellent position to continue increasing its dividend. The REIT expects to invest $8 billion to expand its real estate portfolio this year, which should increase its cash flow per share by about 3% at the midpoint. Meanwhile, with a strong balance sheet and a $14 trillion investable market opportunity, Realty Income should have no shortage of growth opportunities going forward. A steadily growing base income stream plus a supplemental payment Main Street Capital is a business development company (BDC). It provides debt and equity capital to smaller private companies. Those investments generate interest and dividend income. As a BDC, Main Street Capital must pay at least 90% of its taxable income in dividends. The company does this through a unique dividend policy.

Main Street Capital pays a monthly dividend set at a sustainable level. Additionally, the BDC periodically pays supplemental quarterly dividends. ExpandNYSE: MAINMain Street CapitalToday's Change(-2.31%) $-1.34Current Price$56.75Key Data PointsMarket Cap$5.1BDay's Range$56.53 - $58.6552wk Range$46.31 - $67.13Volume30KAvg Vol560KGross Margin100.00%Dividend Yield6.37% Main Street Capital has never cut or suspended its monthly dividend. Instead, the company has increased the payment by 136% since going public in late 2007. Meanwhile, it has paid a stable or growing supplemental dividend each quarter for the past several years. At its current monthly rate, Main Street Capital has a 5.4% dividend yield. Adding in the supplemental quarterly payments boosts the yield to 7.4%.

Main Street Capital is in a strong position to continue growing its monthly dividend. It currently covers that payment by 1.4 times, leaving room to expand. Meanwhile, the company's strong balance sheet and equity investments enable it to grow its portfolio, thereby driving earnings growth. That growth has helped the BDC deliver an annualized total return of more than 17% since its IPO. Income is only part of the total return Realty Income and Main Street Capital have excellent records of increasing their high-yielding monthly dividends, which seems likely to continue. That puts them in strong positions to continue generating robust total returns. As a result, they can turn $1,000 into a growing income stream, helping to meaningfully increase the value of that investment over the long term.Read NextFeb 26, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloThis Elite High-Yielding Monthly Dividend Stock is Hitting the Accelerator in 2026Feb 25, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg Brewer2 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold ForeverFeb 24, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg Brewer3 Top Dividend Stocks to Double Up on Right NowFeb 23, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloHere's How Much You'd Need to Invest in These 3 High-Yielding REIT Dividend Stocks to Generate Over $250 in Passive Income Each MonthFeb 21, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerWhere Will Realty Income Stock Be in 1 Year?Feb 21, 2026 •By Matt DiLallo3 REITs Every Investor Should Know AboutAbout the AuthorMatt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst specializing in covering dividend-paying companies, particularly in the energy and REIT sectors, since 2012. He also covers pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.TMFmd19X@MatthewDiLalloStocks MentionedRealty IncomeNYSE: O$67.12(+1.19%)+$0.79Main Street CapitalNYSE: MAIN$56.75(-2.31%)-$1.34*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.