The Market Is Volatile. These 3 Stocks Will Pay You No Matter What.

By Reuben Gregg Brewer – May 3, 2026 at 9:15AM ESTKey PointsThe S&P 500 is trading near all-time highs even as oil prices remain elevated and recession fears mount.There are always reasons for investors to be worried about stock prices.Enterprise Products Partners, Federal Realty, and International Business Machines are dividend-paying survivors.Wall Street is focused on the geopolitical conflict unfolding in the Middle East and its impact on energy prices. Before that, there was the war in Ukraine. In the future, there will be some other newsworthy event, perhaps the bursting of what some believe is an artificial intelligence bubble, that will unnerve investors and lead to stock market volatility. The big picture is that the market is volatile and it always will be. If you are an investor, one way to deal with market uncertainty is to focus on reliable dividend-paying stocks. Three to consider today are Enterprise Products Partners (EPD 1.73%), Federal Realty (FRT +3.99%), and International Business Machines (IBM +0.58%). Image source: Getty Images. Enterprise avoids commodity risk Master limited partnership (MLP) Enterprise Products Partners operates one of the largest midstream businesses in North America. It generates reliable cash flows by charging customers fees for the use of its energy infrastructure assets. The volume of oil and natural gas moving through its system is more important to the MLP's results than the prices of the products it moves. Energy is vital to the modern world, so volumes tend to remain robust even during energy industry downturns. Enterprise has a lofty 5.7% distribution yield. The distribution has been increased annually for 27 consecutive years, which is basically as long as the MLP has been publicly traded. The MLP's yield will likely make up the lion's share of your return over time, but this resilient energy business is a way to add energy exposure to your portfolio without the commodity risk that is so prevalent in the energy sector today. ExpandNYSE: EPDEnterprise Products PartnersToday's Change(-1.73%) $-0.67Current Price$38.03Key Data PointsMarket Cap$82BDay's Range$38.00 - $38.6552wk Range$29.68 - $39.73Volume3.2MAvg Vol4.9MGross Margin13.33%Dividend Yield5.76% Federal Realty is a Dividend King landlord Federal Realty is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns strip malls and mixed-use assets. It only owns around 100 properties, so it is kind of small. And yet it has done something that no other REIT has: Federal Realty's dividend has been increased annually for 58 consecutive years. That's the longest streak in the REIT sector, which has enabled the REIT to become a Dividend King. Federal Realty is the only Dividend King REIT. The dividend yield is well above the market at 4%. Federal Realty's success is attributable to two factors. First, it focuses on quality over quantity. Its properties have higher average incomes and population densities around them than its peers, which means it owns properties in which retailers want to be located. Second, Federal Realty is an active portfolio manager, always buying, selling, and investing to upgrade its portfolio. In this way, it ensures that its portfolio of properties remains industry-leading. The proof of the REIT's success is its incredible dividend streak. ExpandNYSE: FRTFederal Realty Investment TrustToday's Change(3.99%) $4.42Current Price$115.32Key Data PointsMarket Cap$10.0BDay's Range$111.39 - $115.3252wk Range$89.99 - $115.32Volume1.8MAvg Vol876KGross Margin38.34%Dividend Yield3.89% Buying a few boring, reliable dividend stocks is a great way to deal with market uncertainty. Federal Realty is the epitome of boring and reliable.

International Business Machines knows how to adjust Technology giant IBM has increased its dividend for decades. The dividend yield is 2.9%, which is well above the technology sector average of 0.4%. But the real attraction with IBM is its history of changing along with the needs of its business customers. ExpandNYSE: IBMInternational Business MachinesToday's Change(0.58%) $1.34Current Price$232.32Key Data PointsMarket Cap$218BDay's Range$231.69 - $235.8852wk Range$220.72 - $324.90Volume145KAvg Vol6.4MGross Margin57.80%Dividend Yield2.89% Today, IBM is focused on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. These are all hot technology trends right now. It started life over 100 years ago, producing items such as scales. This is not some start-up; it is an industry survivor. That's important because IBM's business customers know that they can count on the company to support their most important technology processes and functions across the business cycle and through technology cycles. Long-term dividend investors can comfortably own it for the same reasons. Dividends make it easier to live with volatility Risk is just part of the investment equation. While you will never be able to avoid volatility, you can adjust your investment approach to make that volatility easier to deal with. A good option is dividend stocks that have proven they can pay you well despite the market's inherent risk. At the end of the day, focusing on the dividends you are collecting from reliable payers like Enterprise, Federal Realty, and IBM lets you avoid focusing on the inevitable ups and downs of the market.Read NextMay 1, 2026 •By Geoffrey SeilerAfter Hot Start to the Year, Is Enterprise Products Partners Stock Still a Buy?May 1, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerWant Decades of Passive Income? 2 Stocks to Buy Right NowApr 29, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloThis 5.7%-Yielding Energy Stock Got a War-Fueled Boost in the First Quarter (And Has Plenty of Fuel to Continue Growing After It Ends)Apr 28, 2026 •By Motley Fool TranscribingEnterprise (EPD) Q1 2026 Earnings TranscriptApr 28, 2026 •By James Hires2 Energy Dividend Stocks Paying You to Wait While Oil Prices Stay ElevatedApr 27, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloBrent Crude Topped $109, and Inventories Are Draining at a Record Pace.

These Energy Stocks Could Win.About the AuthorReuben Gregg Brewer is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering energy, utilities, REITs, and consumer staples. He is the former director of research at Value Line Publishing, where he rose from mutual fund analyst to equity analyst before leading all research operations. Reuben holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Purchase, a master’s in social work from Columbia University, and an MBA from Regis University. He has been featured as a financial expert on CNBC and in the Financial Times, Barron’s, and InvestmentNews.TMFReubenGBrewerStocks MentionedEnterprise Products PartnersNYSE: EPD$38.03(-1.73%)-$0.67International Business MachinesNYSE: IBM$232.32(+0.58%)+$1.34Federal Realty Investment TrustNYSE: FRT$115.32(+3.99%)+$4.42*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.