Are these the best 3 mid-cap dividends out there?

Do Brexit blues give us the chance to bag some great dividends on the cheap?

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

We might not like it when share prices fall, but it’s great news for those looking to buy — and as well as potential price rises, it can be a great time to lock in some tasty long-term dividends. Here are three whose yields are looking tempting.

Construction woes

Shares in Galliford Try (LSE: GFRD) slumped on the results of the EU referendum as confidence deserted the housebuilding and construction sector. Today they’re 22% cheaper than they were on the day of the vote, at 1,020p, even though a pre-results update on 12 July predicted full-year figures in line with expectations.

Any Brexit impact obviously won’t be felt until the current year gets underway, of course. But since the vote, the analyst consensus forecast for the year to June 2017 hasn’t been downgraded — and a couple of brokers updating their views since the vote have reiterated their buy stance.

Expectations for the year just ended suggest a P/E of only eight, dropping to under seven on 2017 forecasts. And well-covered dividend forecasts suggest a yield of 7.8% this year, rising to 9.7% a year from now. I reckon that warrants serious consideration.

Profit from payments

We don’t need Brexit falls to provide us with nice dividends, not when we have the likes of PayPoint (LSE: PAY) out there. The bill payments processor has recorded several years of strongly rising earnings, and we have two more years of growth forecast for this year and next.

The shares are on forward P/E multiples of around 15-16, which aren’t madly attractive in themselves. But while PayPoint’s earnings have been growing, the firm has been ramping up its dividend. On top of that, with its results for the year to March 2016 released in May, the company announced a special dividend of £25m to be paid over 2016-17. And an update last month reminded us that PayPoint will also be distributing the proceeds from the sale of its mobile payments business when it’s sold.

The overall result of that is a forecast dividend yield of 6.1% for the current year, with a rise to 6.3% on the cards for the year to March 2018. Considering PayPoint’s reiterated progressive dividend policy, this is looking like a cash cow to me.

Retail recovery?

Shares in home shopping retailer N Brown Group (LSE: BWNG) have lost 70% since early 2014, and a look at the company’s recent results makes it clear why. Earnings per share have been falling for four years in a row, and there’s a further 4% dip forecast for the current year. But there’s a modest EPS recovery pencilled-in for February 2018, putting the shares on a lowly P/E of eight.

Dividends have been maintained throughout, with this year’s forecast suggesting a yield of 7.3% and the same to follow a year later.  Is this a company foolishly handing out cash, or are we looking at a stable payer here?

With results released in June, chief executive Angela Spindler told us that “our systems transformation programme […] remains on track in all respects“, predicting that “our new systems will give us a strong platform to capitalise on the significant growth opportunities ahead.” If she’s right, N Brown could be an income stock that’s been unfairly overlooked.

Alan Oscroft has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of PayPoint. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

2 top growth stocks to consider for an ISA in April

The UK market is home to some fantastic under-the-radar growth stocks trading at very reasonable valuations. Here are two of…

Read more »

Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

Could thinking like Warren Buffett help create a market-beating ISA?

Christopher Ruane zooms in on some aspects of Warren Buffett's investing approach he thinks could help an ambitious ISA investor…

Read more »

British pound data
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in a FTSE 100 index tracker at the start of March is now worth…

Anyone who invested money in a FTSE 100 index tracker at the start of the month may wish to look…

Read more »

Chalkboard representation of risk versus reward on a pair of scales
Investing Articles

Should investors consider Rolls-Royce shares as war rocks global markets?

Investors who thought Rolls-Royce shares had grown too expensive might have second thoughts as Iran turmoil rattles the FTSE 100,…

Read more »

Young black woman walking in Central London for shopping
Investing Articles

Some lucky ISA investors could pick up £2,000 for free in the next month. Here’s how

The UK government is handing out free money to some ISA investors to help them save for retirement. Here’s a…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Is this the best time to buy dividend shares since Covid-19?

A volatile stock market gives investors a chance to buy shares with unusually high dividend yields. Stephen Wright highlights one…

Read more »

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Are we staring at a once-in-a-decade chance to buy this beaten-down UK growth stock?

Investors couldn't get enough of this FTSE 100 growth stock, but the last 10 years have been pretty frustrating. Could…

Read more »

Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

What I look for when searching for shares to buy

There’s a lot that goes into finding shares to buy. Ultimately though, it comes down to two things: numbers that…

Read more »