3 No-Brainer High-Yielding Stocks to Buy with $5,000 Today

If you’re looking for safety in volatile markets, always consider investing in high-yielding dividend stocks. Not only do they help generate passive income, but they also act as defensive, stable investments during times of massive volatility – as we’re seeing now.  Look at Realty Income (NYSE: O | O Price Prediction), for example.

Known as “The Monthly Dividend Company,” Realty Income yields about 5%.  It also just increased its monthly cash dividend to $0.2705 per share from $0.270 per share. The dividend is payable on April 15, 2026, to stockholders of record as of March 31, 2026. The new monthly dividend represents an annualized dividend amount of $3.246 per share as compared to the prior annualized dividend amount of $3.240 per share.

That’s just one of many you can set and forget.  Here are three more no-brainer, high-yielding stocks to buy with $5,000 today that you can set and forget, too.

Western Union 

With a yield of 9.86%, Western Union (NYSE: WU) has been around since 1851. While the company has not raised its dividend in about five years, it has kept its 0.235-cent dividend consistent. It just paid that dividend on December 31.

Plus, as it shifts to digital money services, it’s expected to see even more demand. In fact, as noted by FXC Intelligence, “The consumer money transfers industry presents a massive opportunity: a global TAM of $2tn in 2024 that will grow to $3.1tn by 2032, according to our market sizing data. A key growth driver for this industry has been a global push – led by digital disruptors in the space – to move consumer money transfers online.”

Since bottoming out in August at around $7.48, the Western Union stock hit a high of $10.35. Now back to $9.53, we’d use the pullback as an opportunity to accumulate shares. Better, while we wait for the stock to push higher, we can collect its 9.68% yield.

Coca-Cola

With a high of 2.71%, Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) is another dependable, higher-yielding stock to buy and hold for the long haul. Other analysts like it, too, including Piper Sandler, which just reiterated an overweight rating on the stock with an $87 price target.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley also named Coca-Cola as a top pick in the North American consumer staples sector. It also has an overweight rating on the stock, with a price target of $87 a share. Coca-Cola is also about to pay a dividend of 53 cents per share on April 1 to shareholders of record as of March 13. Recent earnings weren’t anything to write home about. EPS of 58 cents beat by two cents. Revenue of $11.8 billion, up 2.6% year over year, missed by $250 million.

With those earnings now priced into the stock, Coca-Cola is starting to pivot from support at $76 a share. Now at $78.12, we’d like to see the stock retest its prior high of $81.44 initially. Longer term, we’d like to see KO test $90 a share, allowing us to benefit from its appreciation and higher-yielding dividend payouts.

JPMorgan Premium Income 

With an expense ratio of 0.35% and a yield of 7.56%, the JP Morgan Equity Income ETF (JEPI) is another smart place to park $5,000 and forget about it.  JEPI returns monthly income and capital appreciation, attempting to capture the returns of the S&P 500 with less volatility. It does so by selling options and investing in large-cap stocks, such as Johnson & Johnson, Analog Devices, Ross Stores, AbbVie, RTX Corp., and Yum Brands, to name just a few.

It just paid a dividend of just over 35 cents a share on March 4. Before that, it paid out just over 34 cents a share on February 4. And before that, it paid just over 42 cents a share on January 5.

As for appreciation, since bottoming out at around $47 in April 2025, the JEPI ETF rocketed to a high of $59.58. Now back to $57.09, thanks to the recent pullback in markets, investors are being offered another solid buy opportunity.