Investor demand for high-yield FTSE 100 shares seems to have fallen in recent months. Inflation has settled back to a level which means that a wide range of shares now offer positive real-terms income returns.
As a result, now could be the perfect time to buy high-yield shares such as Aviva (LSE: AV). They may offer lower valuations due to reduced demand from investors, yet they could deliver FTSE 100-beating returns over the next few years.
Improving prospects
While Aviva has a yield of 5.6% at the present time, the insurance company offers strong dividend growth potential over the next couple of years. Its bottom line is due to rise by 8% next year, and this is set to make a higher shareholder payout more affordable. In fact, dividends are expected to rise by 9.2% per annum in the next two financial years. This puts the stock on a forward dividend yield of 6.7% next year, which would make it one of the highest-yielding shares in the FTSE 100.
Even though dividends per share are expected to rise rapidly over the medium term, Aviva’s financial standing is due to remain sound. Its dividend payout ratio is forecast to be 52% next year, which suggests there is scope for a higher proportion of earnings to be paid out as dividends. This would be in line with the company’s wider strategy to reward shareholders for its continued success.
Looking ahead, Aviva seems to be well-protected from the potential impact of Brexit. It has a diverse business model, with international growth being high. As such, now could be the perfect time to buy it, with a rising dividend having the potential to boost investor sentiment.
Improving performance
Also offering impressive dividend growth potential is leading housebuilder in Scotland, Springfield Properties (LSE: SPR). The company released a positive trading update on Monday which showed that profit is expected to rise by 43% in the year to 30 June 2018, with revenue due to be around 27% higher than in the previous year.
The company has continued to see a relatively robust level of demand for its properties. With demand exceeding supply across large parts of the UK and mortgage availability being high, the wider sector could experience further growth. This is expected to help the company to deliver earnings growth of 28% in the current year, followed by further growth of 16% next year. This puts the stock on a price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of just 0.7, which suggests that it offers a wide margin of safety.
With the company having a dividend yield of 3.4% from a payout that is covered 2.6 times by profit, the prospect of rapid dividend growth seems high. As such, the stock could hold appeal for both income and growth investors alike, with its shares appearing to be undervalued at the present time.
