One of them is Vistry Group (LSE: VTY). Formerly Bovis Homes, the housebuilder has seen its share price slide this year.

Vistry will post first-half results on 8 September, and I suspect they’ll be pretty decent. I’m basing that on the interim updates we’ve already had from Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon in August.

Both reported a healthy start to 2022, despite rising interest rates. The full effects of inflation won’t be seen for a while yet, though. So we might not actually see any improvement in housebuilder share prices in the second half of the year.

Vistry, meanwhile, is on a forecast dividend yield in excess of 6%. And after an H1 share buyback programme, it doesn’t seem to be short of cash.

Investment

Before that, though, on 2 September, we’ll have full-year results from Ashmore Group (LSE: ASHM). Ashmore is an investment manager specialising in emerging markets. And, like the whole investment sector, its share price has been suffering.

The sector could suffer more pain on two counts. Firstly, a lot of investors are withdrawing funds from equity investments. And secondly, as stock values suffer, investment managers lose out in performance-related fees.

Ashmore’s dividends don’t offer the highest yields on the market. But they have two things going for them. Last year’s was more than twice covered by earnings, so I see a safety buffer there.

And if the same 16.9p payment is maintained this year, it would yield 8%. I think there’s a fair chance the final dividend might be reduced. But the company already maintained its interim dividend at 8p per share.

Solar

My final pick is Foresight Solar Fund (LSE: FSFL), and we should have first-half figures on 15 September. Foresight is different from the other two — its share price has risen in 2022.

The investment company puts money into solar power farms in the UK, Australia, and Spain. And it’s got to be sunny in at least one of those countries, right? Seriously, though, the weather does bear on the efficiency of solar power.

But Foresight isn’t one of those ‘jam tomorrow’ renewable energy hopes. No, it’s making profits and generating cash to pay dividends. Forecasts suggest a yield of around 5.4% for the current year, even after the share price rise.

We are still in relatively early days for the industry, and I suspect there could be a little volatility in the medium term. But I see a decent candidate for a long-term investment here.

Second half

The big hurdle facing all three of these companies is the second half of 2022. More specifically, the big unknowns regarding just how bad the economy might get before things improve.

So I’d be wary of making any investment decisions just on these upcoming events. But I will use them as a basis for further research.

The good news, however, is that many high-dividend stocks have seen their yields shoot further through the roof. Here are two top income stocks I’d buy to boost my income.

Foresight Solar Fund

I think Foresight Solar Fund’s (LSE: FSFL) an ideal stock for investors seeking a reliable second income.

The company’s dividend yield sits at 5.7% for 2022. This is more than double the FTSE 250 average of 2.8%.

The essential nature of Foresight Solar’s operations — it owns a portfolio of solar farms in Britain, Australia and Spain — means that profits here remain stable even during tough times. This gives it the financial strength and the confidence to pay big dividends year after year.

Electricity is an essential commodity, after all. But I also like Foresight Solar because green energy is becoming a white-hot growth sector as the fight against climate change intensifies. The International Energy Agency thinks solar power generation alone will rise by an average of 24% every year between now and 2030.

Creating electricity using the sun isn’t as reliable as using fossil fuels. Cloudy periods can smack power generation levels and this can have a big knock-on effect on earnings. Still, it’s my opinion that the long-term benefits of owning this stock outweigh the temporary trouble adverse weather may cause to profits.

And besides, I think this danger is more than priced into Foresight Solar’s rock-bottom valuation. Today the renewable energy stock trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 6.5 times.

Bank of Georgia Group

Bank of Georgia (LSE: BGEO) might not have the investor recognition of popular dividend stocks like Lloyds or Barclays. But I believe the brighter economic outlook in the Eurasian country makes it a better buy for passive income.

There’s also the fact the bank’s dividend yields soar past those of the FTSE 100 banks. For 2022, its yield sits at a mighty 8.4%.

The main threat facing the Georgian economy — and by extension this emerging market bank — is a long war between Russia and Ukraine. Indeed, the Asian Development Bank thinks this will cause the country’s GDP growth to fall to 3.5% in 2022 from 10.6% last year.

But the long-term outlook here remains robust. Personal wealth levels are tipped to grow strongly as the economy picks up momentum (GDP growth is expected to rise to 5% next year). So demand for financial services should also keep improving. It’s worth remembering that Bank of Georgia’s profits soared 57% between 2017 and 2021.

Today it trades on a P/E ratio of just 3.5 times. I think that this, combined with its high dividend yield, makes it a brilliant value stock to buy.

CNBC’s Jim Cramer reckons boring companies are the shares to buy right now.  He aired his opinion yesterday (Monday 13 June) on his Mad Money broadcast. It’s been hard to miss the market volatility recently. But Cramer thinks the best place to invest now is in companies that make things or produce services that people really need. So, for me, it’s out the window with whizzy dizzy businesses that sound exciting. Instead, it’s back to a workman-like, roll-your-sleeves-up approach to investing. And my grandad’s words will be ringing in my ears as I conduct my research — where there’s muck there’s money!

But, hang on, haven’t we heard this kind of advice before? We certainly have. I’d argue that investing in boring, proven, and steady businesses is the bedrock of billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s approach. 

My boring pick number one

My first boring pick is communications company BT (LSE: BT.A). With the share price near 182p, the forward-looking dividend yield is just below 4.3% for the current trading year to March 2023. I think that’s handy income to collect. But it is always possible for any business to miss its estimates. Indeed, BT didn’t pay any dividend for the 2020 trading year when the pandemic struck the economy.

However, BT scores well against the boring scale. The company builds, owns, and operates the UK’s fixed and mobile networks as well as providing other communications services. And I reckon that’s an essential line of business that’s unlikely to slow down much because of any future recession.

In May with the full-year results report, chief executive Philip Jansen said he’s “confident” BT is on the right track. And he forecast revenue growth of “at least” £7.9m for the current trading year. As boring picks go, I think BT shares could be a decent home for some of my money. Although it’s worth me bearing in mind the company carries a lot of debt. And that’s probably because of the capital-intensive nature of its operations.

Boring pick two

If I can stifle my yawn, I’ll tell you a bit about my second boring pick. It’s Foresight Solar Fund (LSE: FSFL). The company invests in ground-based solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating assets and battery storage systems. 

In today’s world, I like the idea of investing in renewable energy assets and believe the fund is well-placed to sustain a healthy flow of shareholder dividends. With the share price near 118p, the forward-looking dividend yield is just above 8% for 2022. But, as always, forecasts are never guaranteed.

A couple of risks spring to my mind with this one. The first is that energy prices can be volatile as we’ve seen lately. It’s possible the company could see lower returns from its assets in the future. And secondly, governments do like to intervene in the energy market with grants, regulations, and tax regimes among other things. Again, it’s possible that the business could become less attractive in years to come. And those risks could affect the flow of shareholder dividends.

Nevertheless, I’d be inclined to embrace the risks and add this boring dividend-paying stock to my diversified portfolio now.

39 years of dividend growth

Merchants Trust (LSE: MRCH) offers a 4.9% dividend yield and has increased its dividend for 39 consecutive years. The trust typically invests in large FTSE 100 companies which pay regular dividends. Top holdings at the end of November included GlaxoSmithKline, British American Tobacco and National Grid.

This conservative strategy isn’t likely to win any medals for rapid growth. But Merchants’ managers are able to boost their returns by using debt to buy shares. This has worked well recently — Merchants Trust’s share price rose by more than 20% in 2021, compared to less than 15% for the FTSE 100.

Using debt adds risk, as it can increase losses during a market crash. Another risk I can see is that GlaxoSmithKline, the trust’s largest holding, is planning to cut its payout next year.

However, Merchants Trust has experienced managers and a long track record. I’d be happy to park some of my cash in this trust in 2022.

Solar-powered dividends

My next pick is renewable energy stock Foresight Solar Fund (LSE: FSFL). Despite its name, Foresight is also an investment trust.

Foresight listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2013, making it one of the older renewable stocks on the market. As its name suggests, it generates the majority of its income from investments in solar power assets. These have a total capacity of over 1GW.

The UK is obviously not the most attractive location for solar power, but Foresight isn’t limited to its home market. The trust also has solar assets in Australia and Spain and is expanding into battery storage.

Foresight shares currently offer a tempting 6.9% dividend yield. The main risk I can see is that, in the future, government subsidies for solar power will gradually be withdrawn. This could leave the trust more exposed to uncertain wholesale electricity prices, putting pressure on the dividend.

For now, Foresight’s 6.9% payout looks safe to me. I’m thinking about adding some to my portfolio this year.

This investment trust offers a defensive 5% income

Supermarkets are one of the most defensive businesses in the world, in my view. Whatever else is happening in life, we’ll always need to do regular food shopping.

One investment trust that’s delivered a steady performance in recent years is Supermarket Income REIT (LSE: SUPR). This real estate investment trust specialises in buying supermarket properties and leasing them back to operators such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Leases on big supermarkets are generally long, with clearly-defined payments. For example, it recently acquired a Tesco supermarket with 17 years remaining on its current lease. This means the trust has good visibility of future cash flow — useful for dividends.

A risk I can see here is that the market for supermarket property is quite strong at the moment. Prices are quite high. If interest rates rise, or property prices fall, then I think Supermarket Income REIT’s dividends could come under pressure.

However, the current situation still looks comfortable to me. With a forecast dividend yield of 5% in 2022, I am considering Supermarket Income for my portfolio.

Playing the e-commerce explosion

I’d buy Wincanton (LSE: WIN) shares to try and make big money from the e-commerce boom. City analysts are predicting solid and sustained earnings growth at the warehouse and distribution services provider as online activity rises and parcels volumes increase.

Current consensus suggests bottom-line rises of 10% and 12% for the next two fiscal years are due. I find these forecasts particularly attractive as they leave the business trading on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 10 times.

Wincanton is making great progress in exploiting the etail boom and last week it announced revenues increased 19% during the six months to September. Also last week, the logistics giant said it had inked a major contract with ABF-owned Primark that’ll see it make 50,000 deliveries over five years.

Even though driver shortages are creating a problem today, I think this cheap UK share is a great long-term buy.

DIY MVP

Sticking with the W’s, Wickes Group (LSE: WIX) is another ultra-cheap British stock on my shopping list today. Trade is booming here as a strong housing market and soaring home improvement spending catapults demand for its DIY products. Latest financials in October showed like-for-like sales up 16.9% in the September quarter versus the same three months in 2019.

Okay, comparable sales were down 1.6% year-on-year. But I think this was a solid result, given the strong results a year earlier when people spent abnormal amounts of time decorating their homes during Covid-19 lockdowns.

My main concern is not whether DIY spending will continue growing robustly as the decade progresses. It’s that the likes of Wickes face increasing cost pressures that are damaging profit margins.

Still, at current prices, I believe the retailer is hard to ignore. City analysts think earnings here will leap 21% and 41% in the next two fiscal periods respectively. As a result, Wickes trades on a forward price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.8.

Here comes the sun

I also think getting in on the green energy revolution is a good idea as demand for low-carbon electricity soars. This is why I’d buy Foresight Solar Fund Limited (LSE: FSFL), an investment company that invests in solar farms in the UK, Spain and Australia.

Foresight Solar’s collection of solar PV assets isn’t the only reason I like this cheap UK share however. The former penny stock also owns a 50% stake in the Sandridge Battery Storage after acquisition action in the spring.

This represented the company’s first foray into the battery storage market and more action on this front can be expected. Battery storage assets are essential in letting power suppliers balance energy supplies, and they play a critical role in the fast-growing renewables sector. I’d buy Foresight Solar despite the huge costs it incurs to keep its solar farms running.

There’s one company in particular that I think is more attractive than many others on the market at the moment. 

ESG investing champion 

The Foresight Solar Fund (LSE: FSFL) is, in my opinion, one of the best renewable energy investments on the London market. It invests in a diversified portfolio of ground-based solar PV and battery storage assets in the UK and internationally.

The addition of the battery assets is a huge plus. As renewable energy assets grab a larger share of the UK grid, balancing supply and demand will be a considerable challenge.

Batteries are one way of overcoming this challenge. By storing excess power generation when the sun’s shining, operators can balance the grid when demand rises, and supply falls. I’ve looked at this area of the ESG investing market in the past, and I think it’s incredibly exciting.

Foresight only started investing in battery facilities earlier this year. Nevertheless, I remain excited about the diversification potential. 

Humming along

The rest of the company’s solar portfolio seems to be humming along nicely. For the six months ended 30 June, generation in the portfolio was 3.4% above the base case in the UK. Including the international market, portfolio generation declined by 2.3% below the base case. 

Going forward, the renewable energy group’s looking for additional acquisitions in the UK and overseas. The managers believe the international strategy is the right one, considering the scale of the global solar market.

Cash generation from the growing portfolio is also funding the group’s dividend to shareholders. For the first half of the year, it declared a dividend of 3.5p per share. That gives a yield of 3.5% on the current share price.

Last year, the dividend totalled 6.9p, suggesting management could declare another 3.4p per share payout for the second half of 2021. This would give the stock a yield of around 6.9%. However, these are just projections at this stage. 

Renewable energy stock with growth potential

As ESG investing opportunities go, I think Foresight has enormous potential, both as an income play and growth stock. That’s why I rate the firm as one of my top renewable energy buys. 

That said, this isn’t going to be a risk-free investment by any means. The company is using debt to fund new acquisitions, which could prove troublesome if interest rates rise.

Solar power can also be unpredictable, as evidenced by the decline in generation from the group’s international assets in the first half. A slump here could hit Foresight’s cash generation and, as a result, dividends. 

Despite these risks, I’d buy the company for my renewable energy portfolio today. 

Income funds offer a diverse stream of income with an instantly diversified portfolio, so you don’t have to worry about the financial health of every company you own.

Today I’m looking at two such funds. Both of them own a collection of renewable energy assets, which are producing a steady stream of income, which I feel means they are the perfect funds to hold in a retirement portfolio.

Solar income

The first one is the Foresight Solar Fund (LSE: FSFL). After recently completing a deal to acquire 15 UK solar assets, with a total installed capacity of 114mw, for £47m, Foresight is now reportedly the “largest UK-listed dedicated solar energy investment company by installed capacity.“

The fund’s assets are not just limited to the UK. In the first half of 2018, the first of Foresight’s Australian assets successfully connected to the country’s electricity grid. Australia is now a key market for the group as the region tries to reduce carbon emissions by 26% by 2030. At its current trajectory, it looks as if Australia will beat this target.

But Australia isn’t the only country using solar energy to reduce carbon emissions. 

Global installed solar capacity increased 30% last year surpassing most forecasts. Indeed, most solar market forecasters were predicting little-if-no-growth after the market expanded 50% in 2016. With the solar market booming, Foresight has plenty of options to expand its asset base. 

According to its first-half results release, the company is currently conducting due diligence on 300mw of potential investments in the UK and Western Europe.

Its management is targeting an annual dividend distribution of 6.6p per share paid on a quarterly basis. Management is also planning a yearly RPI-linked uplift in the distribution depending on market conditions. At the current share price, this implies a dividend yield of 5.9%.

Wind power 

Another fund that is trying to capitalise on the rising demand for renewable energy is Greencoat Wind (LSE: UKW).

Greencoat, as its name suggests, is a green energy fund focused on wind power assets. Like solar, wind energy assets are attracting plenty of attention from investors who are looking to capitalise on the shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy. According to the Financial Times, last year investors ploughed $4.7bn into wind projects across the UK, up to 200% year-on-year.

The high demand for wind assets can be seen in Greencoat’s stock price. Shares in the firm are trading a premium of 10% to net asset value of 114p. 

Still, despite the small premium, Greencoat’s dividend potential remains attractive. Analysts have pencilled in a dividend yield of 5.5% for the full year, based on last year’s distribution and an inflation-linked uplift of approximately 4%.

Greencoat has already spent £277m increasing the size of its portfolio so far in 2018 and is weighing up multiple other opportunities. This growth gives me confidence that the dividend distribution is sustainable.

Overall, it looks to me as if it is an excellent addition to any retirement portfolio.