How Many AGNC Shares It Takes to Earn $500 a Month in Dividends

AGNC Investment offers an exceptionally high 16.3% dividend yield, requiring approximately 4,167 shares (costing ~$36,667) to generate $500 monthly in dividend income—94% less capital than needed for equivalent S&P 500 income. However, this high yield comes with elevated risk due to the mortgage REIT's leveraged Agency MBS investments. While current returns exceed costs, the dividend is not guaranteed and has been cut before, most recently in 2020.