Eric McConnell

Sun, Jun 29, 2025, 7:46 AM3 min read

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Most passive income investors have two main considerations when analyzing dividend stocks: reliability and yield. They usually want something that pays a big enough dividend to generate income but is also built on a platform solid enough for the dividend to be reliable. If you are searching for that kind of investment, you may want to consider Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT). This REIT has increased its dividend for the last 57 years.

That's impressive enough, but the Sure Dividend website says Federal Realty Investment Trust's streak is the longest streak by any real estate investment trust and it's the only REIT with Dividend King status. Federal Realty Investment Trust is a commercial REIT that concentrates on strip centers and mixed-use developments of various sizes throughout the country. That business model is not necessarily unique among REITs, but Federal Investment Trust's strategy has proven to be extremely effective.

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The portfolio is a carefully curated selection of roughly 100 properties, which mainly serve high-revenue markets throughout the U.S. This puts the REIT in a position to generate increased revenue from the rent premiums that property owners can charge tenants for being in sought-after locations. These areas also have high population density, which also helps Federal Realty Investment Trust maintain a high occupancy rate across its portfolio.

Federal Realty Investment Trust is coming off a very strong Q1 2025. Its most recent earnings report showed strong numbers across the board. The trust's $309 million in revenue was an improvement over Q4 2024's total of  $291 million. Earnings per share increased from 2024's $0.66 to $0.72.

Federal Realty Investment Trust's most recent quarterly performance represents a continuation of the REIT's momentum in 2024, which  showed increases in several key metrics. Occupancy improved from 94.1% in 2023 to 96.2% in 2024. Operating income grew from $406.5 million in 2023 to $472.4 million. Federal Realty Investment Trust also broke its own record for signed leases with 452. EPS rose from $2.80 to $3.42, which was a big win for shareholders.