Share your opinion and earn yourself a free Motley Fool premium report!

We are looking for Fools to join a 75 minute online independent market research forum on 15th / 16th December.

To find out more and express your interest please click here

7.8% and 6.8% dividend yields! Should I buy these UK high-dividend stocks?

These high-dividend shares have declined in value in recent months. Here’s why I think they’re great UK shares for long-term investors.

| 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.

Smiling senior white man talking through telephone while using laptop at desk.

Image source: Getty Images

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.

I’m searching for high-dividend shares to add to my portfolio in June. Here are two on my radar today.

Assura

Primary healthcare property providers like Assura (LSE:AGR) have tremendous investment potential. As the UK population steadily ages, footfall in facilities like GP surgeries and diagnostics centres is predicted to increase strongly.

Facilities like this are expected becoming increasingly important given the huge strain on the NHS. In a recent report CBRE Group said “primary care will become an important part of delivering healthcare services” in light of record-high NHS waiting lists.

The property services group expects primary care rents to increase in 2023. This should “enable and encourage third-party development, to meet increasing demand and deliver on NHS ESG strategies.”

These are long-term trends I think could deliver sustained profits growth at the likes of Assura. As the graph below shows, serious health conditions that require treatment are rising across the board.

Condition prevalence rates in England. Source: CBRE Group, NHS Digital QOF Framework

High build-cost inflation is an issue for companies like this. And there is a possibility this could prove a prolonged problem. But I still believe the potential benefits of owning primary healthcare operators such as this outweigh this problem.

As a dividend investor I’m especially attracted to Assura. Its classification as a real estate investment trust (or REIT) mean it has to pay at least 90% of annual rental profits out in the form of dividends.

For this year the firm carries a mighty 6.8% dividend yield. I expect it to deliver market-beating dividends for years to come.

Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice.

Rio Tinto

FTSE 100 business Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) is another high-yield dividend share on my radar today. I opened a position in the mega miner back in summer 2022. And I’m thinking of adding more shares to my portfolio following recent price weakness.

At today’s prices the company offers a 7.8% forward dividend yield. And it also trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 8.1 times.

Concerns over near-term commodities demand have driven Rio Tinto’s share price southwards in recent months. And they will intensify should key data from China and the US continue to be disappointing.

But this doesn’t concern me as an investor. I buy UK shares based on the returns I expect to receive over the long haul. And I expect the firm to deliver exceptional capital gains and dividend income over this kind of time horizon.

The world is on the cusp of another major commodities supercycle. Urbanisation rates are increasing in emerging markets, and spending to upgrade creaking Western infrastructure is increasing. Investment in renewable energy is taking off and consumer spending on electronics and electric vehicles is on the rise.

The result is that Rio Tinto can expect demand for its copper, iron ore, aluminium and other raw materials to rise strongly in the coming decades. And the business has considerable balance sheet strength to exploit this opportunity through acquisitions and upgrades to current mines.

Royston Wild has positions in Rio Tinto Group. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Investing Articles

The BP share price could face a brutal reckoning in 2026

Harvey Jones is worried about the outlook for the BP share price, as the global economy struggles and experts warn…

Read more »

Midnight is celebrated along the River Thames in London with a spectacular and colourful firework display.
Investing Articles

How on earth did Lloyds shares explode 75% in 2025?

Harvey Jones has been pleasantly surprised by the blistering performance of Lloyds shares over the last year or two. Will…

Read more »

Group of four young adults toasting with Flying Horse cans in Brazil
Investing Articles

Down 56% with a 4.8% yield and P/E of 13 – are Diageo shares a generational bargain?

When Harvey Jones bought Diageo shares he never dreamed they'd perform this badly. Now he's wondering if they're just too…

Read more »

Number three written on white chat bubble on blue background
Investing Articles

Could these 3 holdings in my Stocks and Shares ISA really increase in value by 25% in 2026?

James Beard’s been looking at the 12-month share price forecasts for some of the positions in his Stocks and Shares…

Read more »

National Grid engineers at a substation
Investing Articles

2 reasons I‘m not touching National Grid shares with a bargepole!

Many private investors like the passive income prospects they see in National Grid shares. So why does our writer not…

Read more »

Number 5 foil balloon and gold confetti on black.
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Greggs shares 5 years ago would have generated this much in dividends…

Those who invested in Greggs shares five years ago have seen little share price growth. However, the dividends have been…

Read more »

Rolls-Royce Hydrogen Test Rig at Loughborough University
Growth Shares

Here is the Rolls-Royce share price performance for 2023, 2024, and 2025

Where will the Rolls-Royce share price be at the end of 2026? Looking at previous years might help us find…

Read more »

Investing Articles

This FTSE 250 stock could rocket 49%, say brokers

Ben McPoland takes a closer look at a market-leading FTSE 250 company that generates plenty of cash and has begun…

Read more »