Three Dividend Stocks Built Around Durable Cash Flow

A dividend yield is only comforting when the cash behind it survives a difficult quarter. That is the logic behind three income stocks highlighted by 24/7 Wall St.: Enbridge, Verizon and NNN REIT. Their businesses look nothing alike, but each has paired a relatively high payout with recurring revenue, long customer relationships or a multi-decade record of increases.

Enbridge offers the biggest headline yield, although the figure varies with the stock price and the exchange rate. The Canadian energy infrastructure company raised its 2026 quarterly dividend 3% to C$0.97, marking its 31st consecutive annual increase. Its appeal is less about guessing the next oil price than collecting fees from pipelines, gas utilities and other infrastructure. Enbridge’s secured growth backlog reached $41 billion after its second-quarter update, while the company said its systems connect to roughly 75% of North American refining capacity. The trade-off is leverage, which makes the shares sensitive to interest rates even when operating cash flow remains steady.

Verizon’s case rests on a different kind of predictability. Wireless subscriptions, broadband plans and business connectivity produce monthly revenue, while the company has continued raising its payout for 20 consecutive years. Verizon generated $6.43 billion in second-quarter free cash flow, up 24.4% from a year earlier, and lifted its full-year outlook. Its board declared a quarterly dividend of 70.75 cents on September 9, 2026. That progress matters because Verizon is still carrying substantial debt after its Frontier acquisition, so dividend safety depends on cash generation and gradual deleveraging, not simply management’s confidence.

NNN REIT brings the most traditional landlord model of the group. It owns single-tenant properties leased under long-term net leases, leaving tenants responsible for many operating expenses. Occupancy stood at 99.1% in the second quarter, AFFO rose 5.9% year over year to 90 cents per share, and the company lifted its quarterly dividend 3.3% to 62 cents. That increase extended NNN’s streak to 37 years. A roughly two-thirds AFFO payout ratio gives the REIT room to absorb setbacks, though higher interest costs and tenant failures remain the pressure points.

The common thread is not safety in the absolute sense. It is cash-flow visibility. That is a better starting point than yield alone.