Realty Income (O) will raise its monthly dividend by another 0.2 percent to $0.226 per share in the first quarter of 2019. Earlier this year the real estate investment trust already raised its monthly dividend by 2.0 percent.

The dividend is payable on April 15, 2019 to shareholders of record as of April 1, 2019. This is the 101st dividend increase since Realty Income's listing on the NYSE in 1994. A new annual rate of $2.712 per share yields 3.8% at a stock price of $71.48.

"We remain committed to our company's mission of paying dependable monthly dividends to our shareholders that increase over time," said Sumit Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Realty Income. "Our Board of Directors has once again determined that we are able to increase the amount of the monthly dividend to our shareholders, marking the 101(st) increase since our company's public listing in 1994. With the payment of the April dividend, we will have made 585 consecutive monthly dividend payments throughout our 50-year operating history."

Realty Income Corporation is a real estate investment trust (REIT) with properties owned under long-term lease agreements with regional and national commercial tenants. The Company has tenants active in 48 segments, including Apparel, Automotive tire services, Beverages, Child care, Convenience stores, Dollar stores, Drug stores, Financial services, Food processing, Grocery stores, Health and fitness, Health care, Home improvement, Restaurants-casual dining, Restaurants-quick service, Sporting goods, Theaters, Transportation services and Wholesale club.