For investors looking to put their money to work, a possibly better option than a Bank CD could be a Real estate investment trust (REITs). More particularly, Store Capital (NYSE: STOR), a company with a bond-like dividend that has been stress tested during the Covid pandemic and has emerged possibly stronger.    Notably, $10,000 invested in the company when it went public in November 2014 would have turned that investment into $13,778, which for some might not be something to write home about. However, the dividends paid out in the past six years per share amount to $7.55 or roughly 4.6% annual return on investment.

How safe is STOR stock?

STOR is growing at an increased rate as adjusted funds from operations have been rising 12% year-on-year (YoY) in 2021, and predictions for 2022 are for a 7.3% growth YoY.  Meanwhile, the company’s free cash flow is reinvested and boasts one of the highest growth rates among REITs, well over 5%. Dividends were also growing at an annual clip of 6.1%, with expectations that this could continue. 

The bottom line

It seems as if STORE has been an outstanding investment for the past several years. Yielding over 5%, raising the dividend by around 6% annually, and paying out cash to shareholders are just some of the benefits.  At the current price of $27.35, a $10,000 investment would buy roughly 365 shares, bringing in $140 each quarter or a total of $562 annually. With the magic of compound investing over a 5-year period and a conservative estimate that the price would appreciate 4% annually, the initial investment would get you to 488 shares. Along with the shares, the initial value would be worth $16,238.91 with $3,813.39 dividends paid out, equating to a 10.22% annualized return with dividend reinvestment.      Like all investments, investing in STORE brings with it risks; however, numerous analysts consider real estate a proven hedge against inflation, and what better way to diversify a real estate portfolio than through a high-quality REIT.  Disclaimer: The content on this site should not be considered investment advice. Investing is speculative. When investing, your capital is at risk.