American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that mainly deals with collateralized mortgage obligations. Though those instruments got a bad rap after the financial crisis of 2008, American Capital is doing quite well. Shares are up about +13% year-to-date and at about $30 a share are flirting with new 52-week and all-time highs. Dividend investors reap the rewards of this success with AGNC dividends running at a quarterly payday of $1.40 a share (paid for at least five quarters running) and a yield of nearly 19%.

Like AGNC, Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY) is a real estate investment trust – and like all REITs is required to distribute 90% of its income into the hands of its investors. This results in a plush payday of about $2.72 annually for a dividend yield of over 15%. However, it’s worth noting that Annaly’s dividend is not as stable as AGNC. The July NLY dividend was 68 cents per share, compared with payouts of 65 cents, 75 cents, 69 cents and 60 cents in four preceding quarters. Still, even if the low figure of 60 cents holds for the next dividend, at current valuations that’s a 13.3% yield. Still pretty impressive even if Annaly investors do suffer a cut next quarter. Shares of NLY stock have slightly outperformed the market since January.

BlackRock Kelso Capital (NASDAQ: BKCC) is in the buyout and business management game. The rocky stock market has provided some great bargains for BKCC, and its latest quarter’s earnings report shows that. BlackRock Kelso beat estimates by 3 cents, posting net income of 36 cents per share. BKCC also declare a distribution of 32 cents per share that’s payable Oct. 1 – the third straight quarter of that hefty dividend after BlackRock doubled the payday back in January. It’s easy to understand how BlackRock could make such a bold dividend increase and maintain it though, with shares up +35% so far in 2010 and pushing up against yet another 52-week high.

Fifth Street Finance Corp. (NYSE: FSC) is in the asset management game, and hasn’t had a very impressive year so far. FSC stock is down slightly since January 1, and the company has either met earnings expectations exactly or missed them slightly in recent quarters. But that may mean a buying opportunity for dividend investors before Fifth Street breaks out. It’s last monthly payout was 11 cents a share, giving this pick an annualized dividend of $1.32 and a yield of over 12% at current valuations. It’s worth noting that FSC also payed a monthly distribution of 32 cents as recently as June so dividend stock investors could see an even bigger payday if FSC enjoys good fortune as we close out 2010.

Prospect Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: PSEC) is a “mezzanine” finance firm that specializes in buyouts, recapitalizations and growth capital. The company hasn’t exactly shined in 2010, down about -17% in share price since January 1. However, it’s consistent monthly dividends of about a dime a share are a great consolation – to the turn of a 12.3% annualized yield. Things could be turning around for the company too, with Prospect Capital reporting in August that its investment income increased over +12% to $66.5 million in the latest quarter.

Solar Capital Ltd. (NASDAQ: SLRC) is a business development firm specializing in investments in leveraged companies. The stock has only been publicly traded since February, but has enjoyed a +13% gain since that debut. What’s more, it has three plump quarterly dividends already – from 34 cents a share in its first quarter, to two straight paydays of 60 cents. That gives SLRC an annualized yield of 11.8% based on its annualized rate of $2.40 a share. Solar Capital did miss earnings pretty dramatically in its last quarter, but aggressive investors may want to jump into this stock now that it’s drawn back about 20% from its high a few months ago.