Realty Income Corporation (O), with a market cap of $52.1 billion, is a real estate partner to the world's leading companies. Established in 1969, the company is engaged in the acquisition and management of freestanding commercial properties that reap rental revenue under long-term net lease agreements.

Dividend stocks are gaining popularity again due to the recent wave of bearishness in the stock market. Both retail and institutional investors chased AI and growth stocks in the past two years, and dividend stocks were rarely on their bucket list as the returns paled compared to the hottest names on the market.