In this article, we will take a look at some of the best FTSE dividend stocks.
In recent years, investors have increasingly shifted away from UK equities, favoring global stocks, particularly high-growth sectors like US technology. The UK stock market is shrinking at its fastest pace in over a decade, largely due to a wave of takeovers involving London-listed companies. Bloomberg data showed that around 45 firms have been delisted from the London market in 2024 through mergers and acquisitions, reflecting a 10% rise from last year’s total. This marks the highest level of delistings since 2010. At the same time, the value of deals involving UK companies has climbed 81% this year, surpassing $160 billion.
Over the last ten years, the British index has delivered an annual total return of 6%, significantly lagging behind the 13% return of the broader US market. Analysts attribute this weaker performance to sluggish earnings growth, political uncertainty within the UK, and the lack of a dominant technology sector. However, a key factor has been the sharp drop in valuations as investors have increasingly moved away from UK stocks. According to Goldman Sachs, the issue is not a lack of foreign investor interest—who currently account for roughly two-thirds of the UK market capitalization—but rather the low engagement of domestic investors in UK equities.
Also read: 10 Best Annual Dividend Stocks To Buy Now
That said, several factors seem to be contributing to a shift in investor sentiment. In November 2024, UK equity funds saw inflows after more than three years of continuous monthly withdrawals and a large sell-off leading up to the Budget. According to data from Calastone, retail investors invested a net £317 million into UK-focused stock funds that month. This marks a significant change, halting a streak of 41 months of net outflows, during which over £25 billion had been pulled from these funds since May 2021.
Analysts also believe that the UK stock market may be on the verge of recovery, although the exact timing and pace of this shift are unclear. In this context, dividend stocks are crucial. Focusing on stocks with growing dividends can offer stability and consistency across different market conditions. These stocks also provide long-term growth potential, compounding returns as share prices recover. The UK market offers some of the highest dividend yields among major markets, with the “Footsie” yielding 3.46%, and the FTSE 250 offering slightly lower but still attractive yields. This setup enables investors to focus on high-growth areas, like smaller companies, while enjoying the benefit of increasing dividends. According to BlackRock, UK market dividends are currently growing at a rate of 2-3%, roughly in line with long-term inflation. Companies with growing dividends typically have strong cash flows, allowing them to increase payouts over time.
Janus Henderson’s 2023 annual dividend report highlighted a significant increase in dividend growth, revealing that the UK paid out roughly $86 billion in dividends last year, up from $63.1 billion in 2020. Looking ahead, the UK’s stock market index is projected to distribute about £83.6 billion in dividends in 2025, marking a 6.5% rise from the £78.5 billion expected in 2024. Given this, we will take a look at some of the best FTSE dividend stocks.
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay
Our Methodology:
For this article, we scanned Insider Monkey’s database of 900 hedge funds as of Q3 2024 to find FTSE stocks that are also traded on US exchanges. Our focus was on companies that have strong dividend policies and consistently distribute dividends to their shareholders. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge funds’ sentiment toward them.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
10. Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 10
Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) is a British multinational medical equipment manufacturing company that offers a wide range of services and products to its consumers. In the third quarter of 2024, the company reported revenue surpassing $1.4 billion, marking a 4% increase from the same period last year. However, this growth didn’t inspire much confidence among investors. The company attributed slower performance in China as a key factor, which reduced overall growth by 190 basis points. This was mainly due to the impact of Value-Based Pricing (VBP) on the Sports division, along with weaker demand and necessary adjustments in the Recon segment. Over the past year, the stock has declined by nearly 9%.
In Q3 2024, Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN)’s Advanced Wound Management (AWM) segment remained the top performer, bringing in $422 million in revenue, a 6.5% increase from the previous year. Analysts pointed out the segment’s key strengths, including a wide and loyal customer base, a solid group of existing buyers, and its proprietary technology.
Though Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) has declined in the past 12 months, the company is making steady progress in its transition to a higher-growth organization. The previously underperforming US Recon segment has started to show growth, and challenges in China are expected to ease by 2025. Ongoing improvements in operational and commercial metrics indicate that the company’s 12-Point Plan and cultural shifts are becoming key aspects of its operations.
Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) has been making regular dividends to shareholders since 1937, which makes it one of the best FTSE dividend stocks on our list. The company offers a quarterly dividend of $0.144 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.95%, as of February 10.
9. HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 14
HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) is a financial services company, headquartered in London. The company serves millions of customers through its different businesses. It has recently revealed plans to scale down its M&A and equity capital markets businesses in Europe, the UK, and the US as part of a wider restructuring of its investment banking operations.
HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC), while being a globally diversified company, generates a significant portion of its revenue from Asia, which contributes about half of its total earnings. The remainder comes from various global markets, mainly through services such as commercial banking and wealth management. The company has recently focused on expanding its presence in Asia.
For the third quarter, HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) reported $17 billion in revenue, marking a $1.1 billion increase from the same period last year and a $0.3 billion rise from the previous quarter, signaling positive business momentum. In addition, the bank announced $4.8 billion in shareholder returns, including a third interim dividend of $0.10 per share and a share buyback of up to $3 billion, which is expected to be completed by the time of the full-year results in February. With its solid performance in Q3 and relatively low price-to-earnings ratio, the stock seems undervalued and positioned for growth.
HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) currently offers an interim dividend of $0.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.53%, as recorded on February 10. It is one of the best FTSE dividend stocks on our list as the company has been making uninterrupted dividend payments to shareholders since 1997.
