10 Highest Paying Monthly Dividend Stocks

4. AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC)

Dividend Yield as of August 16: 14.34%

AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) is a Maryland-based real estate investment trust company that mainly invests in residential mortgage-backed securities. This indicates that the company is not a conventional property-owning REIT. The business model is undoubtedly risky. Unlike physical properties, which change hands infrequently, AGNC Investment’s assets are traded continuously throughout the day. The value of AGNC Investment’s bond holdings is quickly affected by changes in interest rates, whereas property prices tend to be more stable. Additionally, there are mortgage-specific factors to consider, such as repayment rates and housing market dynamics. It is generally easier for investors to monitor the performance of a portfolio of physical properties, like those held by an apartment REIT, compared to understanding the complexities of a portfolio consisting of mortgage bonds.

That said, AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) is faring well despite risky business dynamics. The stock is up by nearly 5% since the start of 2024 and its 12-month returns came in at over 5.7%. As of June 30, the company held an investment portfolio valued at $66.0 billion. This portfolio included $59.7 billion in Agency MBS, $5.3 billion in net forward purchases or sales of Agency MBS in the “to-be-announced” market, and $1.0 billion in credit risk transfer (CRT) and non-Agency securities, along with other mortgage credit investments.

AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) started paying dividends as soon as it went public in 2008. Initially, it issued quarterly dividends until 2014, at which point it switched to monthly payments and has continued this practice to the present day. Since 2008, the company has returned $13.4 billion to shareholders through dividends, which makes AGNC one of the best dividend stocks on our list. It currently offers a monthly dividend of $0.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.34%.