High yielding dividend stocks can be attractive to income seeking investors due to the large dividend payouts. However, these large dividends may be unsustainable, and very high yields may indicate a company is financially struggling, and a dividend cut may be likely in the future. Therefore, it is always important to look beyond the yield, and examine the company fundamentals to ensure the current high dividend payout is sustainable for the future. In this page, we list the top dividend yielding stocks (excluding investment trusts) from the UK FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 list of shares. The companies below all have unbroken and increasing annual dividends for at least the previous five years, and have so far, not forecast to reduce future dividend payments. While this criteria will not guarantee no future dividend cuts, as a company can reduce the dividend at any time, it can serve as a good initial filter for high yield UK dividend stocks. For a full list of all FTSE dividend yields see the FTSE 100 dividend yields page, the FTSE 250 dividend yields page, and the Investment Trust dividend yields page.
| TDIM (EPIC) | PHNX | Sector | Life Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 10.85% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | May, Sep |
Phoenix Group Holdings (PHNX) is a FTSE 100 company providing insurance services, and long-term savings and retirement products. Listed in 2009, it has been steadily growing the dividend, increasing the annual dividend in the previous five years. Phoenix Group Holdings pays two dividends of equal amount each year (see PHNX dividend payment page). The current Phoenix Group Holdings yield is 10.85%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | BATS | Sector | Tobacco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 10.03% |
| Dividend Frequency | Quarterly | Dividend Payment Dates | Feb, May, Aug, Nov |
British American Tobacco (BATS) is a FTSE 100 company that provides tobacco, nicotine, and vaping products to consumers around the world. It has a strong history of dividend payouts, having increased the annual dividend every year for over twenty years. Only nine other FTSE 100 companies have achieved such a long record of unbroken and rising annual dividends. Over the past 15 years, British American Tobacco has grown its annual dividend at a compound annual growth rate of 9.4%, (see British American Tobacco dividend history). It is also one of the few quarterly dividend payers in the FTSE, paying four dividends per year. These dividends are paid every three months in equal amounts (see BATS dividend payment page). The current British American Tobacco yield is 10.03%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | NG. | Sector | Gas, Water and Multi-utilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 5.40% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | Jan, Aug |
National Grid (NG.) is a FTSE 100 utility company focused on the transmission and distribution of electricity and gas. It has a strong history of dividend payouts, having increased the annual dividend every year for over twenty years. Only nine other FTSE 100 companies have achieved such a long record of unbroken and rising annual dividends. Over the past 15 years, National Grid has grown its annual dividend at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% (see National Grid dividend history). NG. pays two dividends per year, with a third of the annual dividend paid as an interim dividend, and the final two thirds paid as a final dividend (see NG. dividend payment page). The current National Grid yield is 5.40%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | RAT | Sector | Investment Banking and Brokerage Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 250 | Dividend Yield | 5.28% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | May, Oct |
Rathbones Group (RAT) is a FTSE 250 company that provides individual investment and wealth management services for private clients, charities, trustees and professional partners. It has a strong dividend history having increased the annual dividend for 13 consecutive years, and a compound annual dividend growth rate of about 5% over 15 years (see RAT dividend history). Rathbones Group pays two dividends per year, and the current Rathbones Group dividend yield is 5.28%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | UU. | Sector | Gas, Water and Multi-utilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 4.45% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | Feb, Aug |
United Utilities Group (UU.) is a FTSE 100 company that provides water and wastewater services. It has cut the annual dividend on two occasions in 2009 and 2011, but has grown the annual dividend steadily for the past 9 years. Over the past 10 years, United Utilities Group has grown its annual dividend at a compound annual growth rate of 2.6% (see United Utilities dividend history). UU. pays two dividends per year, an interim dividend and a final dividend, with the final dividend being a larger payment than the interim dividend (see UU. dividend payment page). The current United Utilities yield is 4.45%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | ICP | Sector | Investment Banking and Brokerage Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 3.75% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | Jan, Aug |
Intermediate Capital Group (ICP) is a FTSE 250 global alternative asset manager. It has grown the annual dividend for the past 13 years. It pays two dividends per year, an interim dividend in January and a final dividend in August (see ICP dividend payment page). The current Intermediate Capital Group yield is 3.75%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | SKG | Sector | General Industrials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 3.74% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | May, Oct |
Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) is one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging in the world, with operations in over 30 countries. Listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2007, SKG briefly suspended dividend payments for a couple of years in 2009 and 2010. However, since then, this FTSE 100 company has been increasing its annual dividend for over 10 years, with an impressive compound annual growth rate of over 15% (see SKG dividend history). SKG pays two dividends per year, an interim dividend in October and a final dividend in May. The current Smurfit Kappa Group dividend yield is 3.74%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | DCC | Sector | Industrial Support Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 3.42% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | Jul, Dec |
DCC is a FTSE 100 support services group with divisions in Energy, Healthcare and Technology. DCC has a strong history of dividend payouts, having increased the annual dividend every year for over 23 years. Very few FTSE 100 companies have achieved such a long record of unbroken and rising annual dividends. The compound annual dividend growth rate has been about 10% over 5, 10, and 15 year periods (see DCC dividend history). DCC pays two dividends per year, an interim dividend in December and a final dividend in July. The current DCC dividend yield is 3.42%.
| TDIM (EPIC) | BA. | Sector | Aerospace and Defense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index | FTSE 100 | Dividend Yield | 2.24% |
| Dividend Frequency | Biannual | Dividend Payment Dates | Jun, Nov |
BAE Systems (BA.) is a FTSE 100 company that provides technology defence, aerospace and security solutions. It has a strong history of dividend payouts, having increased the annual dividend every year for 19 years. Over the past 15 years, BAE Systems has grown its annual dividend at a compound annual growth rate of 5.7% (see BAE Systems dividend history). BA. pays two dividends per year, an interim dividend and a final dividend, with the final dividend being a larger payment than the interim dividend (see BA. dividend payment page). The current BAE Systems yield is 2.24%.