Today I’m looking at some of the best dividend stocks money can buy. Here are some income heroes from the FTSE 100 I’d happily buy for my own stocks portfolio.
Motoring along nicely
Spiking claims costs are always a danger to UK insurance shares. But I’m confident that car insurance colossus Admiral Group can still deliver monster investor returns now and in the years ahead. And at the moment this FTSE 100 share carries an enormous 7.5% dividend yield. Analysts at Berenberg note that insurance claims for serious personal injury have been coming down for years now. Meanwhile Admiral continues to impressively grow its share of the motor and home insurance segments both in the UK and abroad. Total customer numbers at the company soared 10% in 2020 as a result, to 7.7m.
One of my ISA buys
I already own FTSE 100 housebuilder Barratt Developments in my Stocks and Shares ISA. And I have no intention of selling it any time soon. This is because the same factors that have propelled property prices through the roof over the past decade remain very much in place today. Interest rates remain extremely low and competition among lenders is intense, thus helping homebuyers get on the property ladder. Meanwhile massive government help remains in place through Help to Buy ISAs and equity loans. I think Barratt’s a top stock to buy despite the threat that growing building product shortages poses to construction rates. Oh, and the Footsie firm carries a chunky 4% forward dividend yield today.
Another top dividend share
ITV is another big-yielding FTSE 100 share I’d buy today. I wouldn’t just buy it because advertising budgets are bouncing back strongly at the moment. I’d buy it because I like the progress the broadcaster is making in the fast-growing video on demand segment (the number of ITV Hub subscribers rose 6% in 2020 to 33m as a consequence of platform and content improvements). I also like the huge investment ITV is making to turn its ITV Studios division (the maker of hits like Love Island and The Chase) into a global programme-making heavyweight. I think it’s a great buy despite the threat posed by the US streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon. ITV’s forward dividend yield sits at 4%.
A FTSE 100 telecoms hero
Telecoms titan Vodafone Group has long been one of the best cash generators on the FTSE 100. This has allowed it to pay above-average dividends to its investors. City brokers are expecting another annual payout of €0.09 per share this fiscal year, too, resulting in a 6.5% dividend yield. This makes the company a great buy today, in my opinion, as does its drive to roll out its fixed-line broadband and 5G services across Europe. I also like the company’s exposure to fast-growing markets in Africa, though swiftly-rising competition in these developing regions could potentially hamper profits generation there.