From 24/7 Wall St. · Joel South · · 2m
3 Dividend Stocks Built for Retirement to Buy in September
Three stocks across healthcare, real estate, and banking offer reliable income streams and growth potential for retirement portfolios heading into fall.
In brief
Three stocks across healthcare, real estate, and banking offer reliable income streams and growth potential for retirement portfolios heading into fall. Retirement income needs stocks with proven cash flow, sector diversity, and different payment cadences that can sustain and grow payouts through market downturns…
Why dividend stocks matter for retirement
Retirement portfolios need income that arrives reliably, outpaces inflation, and holds steady during downturns. Three stocks spanning healthcare, real estate, and banking offer this combination through proven cash flow.
Johnson & Johnson: 64 years of raises
JNJ pays $1.34 quarterly with $19.7 billion in free cash flow generated last year. The company just marked its 64th consecutive year of dividend increases, a streak few companies match.
“64th consecutive year of dividend increases”
JNJ's drug portfolio accelerating
DARZALEX topped $4 billion in Q2 2026 sales, up 17.6%, while TREMFYA reached $2 billion, up 71%. Management raised full-year guidance to $101.1 billion in sales with 7.3% adjusted EPS growth.
JNJ's main risk: biosimilar competition
STELARA sales dropped 59.7% to $656 million in Q1 2026 due to biosimilar erosion. Litigation charges also continue to impact reported earnings.
Realty Income: monthly checks for 136 times
Realty Income yields 5.45% with a monthly dividend of $0.2715 payable October 15, 2026. The REIT has declared 670 consecutive monthly dividends and raised the payout 115 consecutive quarters.
“670 consecutive monthly dividends”
Realty Income's coverage and occupancy
Q2 2026 AFFO per share grew to $1.09, up 3.8%, with portfolio occupancy at 98.8%. Management raised full-year AFFO guidance to $4.44 to $4.45, roughly 4% growth at the midpoint.
Realty Income's risks: rates and tenants
Non-investment-grade tenants make up 65.7% of annualized base rent, and the stock is down 9.59% over the past month as interest rates shifted. Rising rates and tenant credit quality remain key concerns.
JPMorgan Chase: dividend raised to $1.65
JPMorgan just raised its quarterly dividend to $1.65 per share, payable October 31, 2026, up from $1.50. The annualized forward payout is $6.60 against a recent price of $349.47.
JPMorgan's payout has room to grow
Q2 2026 EPS hit $7.70 with net income of $21.16 billion and 23% ROTCE. A $1.65 dividend leaves substantial room to keep raising, backed by a fortress balance sheet with 14.3% CET1 ratio.
JPMorgan's warning: credit normalizing
Card net charge-off rates ran at 3.33% and nonaccrual loans stand at $9.4 billion. CEO Jamie Dimon flagged geopolitical tensions, sticky inflation, and elevated asset prices as headwinds.
“It's getting close to as good as it gets”
At a glance
Retirement income needs stocks with proven cash flow, sector diversity, and different payment cadences that can sustain and grow payouts through market downturns.
