Realty Income

Realty Income (NYSE: O) is a Real Estate Investment Trust listed on the New York Stock Exchange and a member of the S&P 500. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in San Diego, California, it acquires freestanding, single-unit commercial properties leased to industry-leading operators under long-term net lease agreements. The company is widely known as "The Monthly Dividend Company", a nickname derived from its practice of paying stockholders a monthly dividend.

The portfolio comprises more than 15,500 properties with a gross asset value exceeding $83 billion. Holdings span 92 different industries, including restaurants such as Taco Bell, and extend across all 50 U.S. states, the United Kingdom and eight other European countries. Tenants are typically single-tenant commercial operators considered leaders in their fields.

The company's defining characteristic is its record of consistency: 672 consecutive monthly dividends declared, and dividend increases for more than 31 consecutive years. Membership of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index reflects that record. Realty Income traces its origins to a single Taco Bell property in Escondido, California, acquired by founders William and Joan Clark, and positions itself as a long-term real estate partner to major corporate operators.

Work at Realty Income centres on net lease real estate, REIT operations, commercial property acquisition and the administration of its dividend programme, in support of a portfolio spanning the United States and Europe.