Prediction: Realty Income’s Data Center Pivot Will Supercharge Its Dividend Growth Over the Next Decade Realty Income (NYSE: O) has been an extraordinarily consistent dividend stock over the years.
The real estate investment trust (REIT) has increased its monthly dividend 135 times since its public market listing in 1994, including the last 115 consecutive quarters
The REIT has grown its payout at a healthy 4.1% compound average annual rate during that period. While its dividend growth rate has slowed in recent years (1.8% year-over-year in the first quarter), I predict it will accelerate over the coming decade. One catalyst is the REIT’s pivot to data centers.
Given the massive investment opportunity in the space, it could supercharge Realty Income’s growth. Partnering to build a platform Realty Income made its inaugural investment in the data center space in late 2023 by forming a built-to-suit data center development joint venture (JV) with leading data center REIT Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR). Realty Income initially invested $200 million to acquire an 80% interest in the JV, which was building two data centers in Northern Virginia.