Beating the Dow is nice if you can do it. If you do, it means the stock you chose outdid a key barometer of the broader U.S. market: the 30 stocks that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

It obviously can be done and often is, and you can boost your chances by choosing a well-run company like Agree Realty (NYSE: ADC). This real estate investment trust (REIT) generates a steady flow of cash and dividends from a collection of more than 1,800 retail properties it owns across 48 states.

Agree is particularly attractive to income investors because it pays monthly, and it's been growing its dividends an annualized 6.1% a year for the past decade. Its record as a long-term investment is impressive, too, posting a compound average annual return of 12.5% since it went public in 1994.

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Source Fool.com