When it comes to tracking the stock trades of members of Congress, sometimes the story is about insider knowledge or committee timing. Other times, it's just a senator acting like any retail investor looking for a steady income stream. That seems to be the case with Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who has been quietly building a portfolio of dividend-paying stocks.
His latest move? Adding more shares of Realty Income Corp (NYSE: O), a real estate investment trust that takes its nickname "The Monthly Dividend Company" very seriously. According to the MarketDash Government Trades page, Peters bought between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of shares on July 23. This isn't his first rodeo with the company; he previously made purchases of $15,000 to $50,000 in March 2023 and July 2021.
Realty Income's appeal is pretty straightforward. The company currently pays a monthly dividend of $0.271 per share, which adds up to $3.252 annually, giving investors a yield of around 5.2%. That's a nice chunk of change, especially in a market where yields can be hard to come by. But the real kicker is the track record: Realty Income has paid 673 consecutive monthly dividends since its founding in 1969. And it's not just about consistency; the company has also increased its dividend 135 times since its public listing in 1994, according to its website.
Peters' recent buying spree isn't just about Realty Income. He's been on a dividend-focused shopping trip all year. Here's a look at what he's bought in 2026, along with their annual dividend yields:
- AT&T Inc (NYSE: T): 4.5%
- Kraft Heinz (NYSE: KHC): 6.5%
- PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP): 4.3%
- J.M. Smucker Co (NYSE: SJM): 3.8%
- Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK): 3.2%
Notice a pattern? Several of these names are consumer staples and defensive plays, the kind of stocks that tend to hold up well during recessions or when consumers are feeling the pinch. Peters might be positioning his portfolio to capture dividend yield while also having some protection if the economy takes a downturn. With inflation still running hot and consumer costs rising, it's a strategy that makes sense.
Interestingly, Peters hasn't always been this active in the stock market. He bought only two stocks in 2025 and none in 2024. But in 2026, he's made around $162,000 in trades, with the majority being purchases, according to Quiver Quantitative. That's a notable shift for a senator who typically sticks to municipal securities and corporate bonds, and who has historically been a supporter of legislation to ban members of Congress from trading stocks.
So, is Peters just a dividend enthusiast, or is there something more strategic going on? Either way, his recent moves offer a glimpse into how a savvy investor might navigate the current market. And with Realty Income's impressive dividend history, it's easy to see why he keeps coming back for more.
