This £43bn of passive income is up for grabs today!

As a lover of passive income, I’m always on the lookout for extra cash. The good news is that these 10 stocks pay out huge sums in cash to their owners.

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As an older investor, I don’t take too many risks nowadays. Today, my family portfolio delivers two things: capital growth (from US stocks) and passive income (from UK shares).

I love unearned income

Currently, our portfolio generates thousands of pounds in monthly cash, but we need this stream to keep growing. Of course, there are plenty of ways to generate passive income.

I could rent out property — possibly lucrative but too much hassle for me. I could earn cash interest — safe, but too boring. I could buy fixed-interest bonds and collect their coupons (interest) — also not for me.

I love share dividends

My favourite way to generate passive income is by owning dividend shares. These stocks pay out regular cash to their owners, usually quarterly or half-yearly.

One problem is not all companies pay dividends. Indeed, most London-listed shares don’t pay out cash to shareholders. Instead, some reinvest their profits into future growth while others make losses.

Another snag is that future dividends aren’t guaranteed so can be cut or cancelled without notice. This has happened to me before, most notably during 2020-21’s Covid-19 crisis.

I love huge payouts

In 2024, total FTSE 100 dividends are forecast at around £83.7bn. However, UK dividends are very concentrated, with a few massive companies paying out the lion’s share.

As this table shows, more than half of Footsie dividends come from just 10 vast businesses. Here they are, listed from the largest to smallest by size:

CompanyBusinessMarket valueShare priceDividend yieldOne-year changeFive-year changeYearly dividend
ShellOil & gas£160.7bn2,494.5p4.1%-2.7%6.1%£6.6bn
AstraZenecaHealthcare£155.9bn10,080p2.3%-6.8%63.0%£3.5bn
HSBC HoldingsBanking£116.6bn612.8p7.8%-4.3%-0.2%£9.1bn
Unilever*Consumer goods£96.8bn3,868p3.8%-6.5%-2.9%£3.7bn
BP*Oil & gas£79.9bn471.65p4.7%-14.3%-11.5%£3.8bn
GSK*Healthcare£68.4bn1,661.8p3.5%16.9%7.6%£2.4bn
Diageo*Alcoholic drinks£66.1bn2,963.5p2.8%-15.8%0.9%£1.8bn
RELXTech/Financial£64.2bn3,411p1.7%34.9%111.8%£1.1bn
Rio Tinto*Mining£87.8bn5,127p6.7%-14.2%17.7%£5.8bn
British American TobaccoTobacco£52.2bn2,334.5p9.9%-25.4%-18.5%£5.2bn

In total, these 10 companies are expected to pay out at least £43.1bn in dividends this year. Therefore, if I want to earn really big passive income from UK shares, I should probably own some of these stocks. As it happens, my wife and I own stakes in five of these 10 firms (see asterisks above).

I love this stock

If I needed to buy one of these 10 stocks for more passive income, I’d probably buy more Unilever (LSE: ULVR) shares. But why this Anglo-Dutch firm?

First, Unilever’s business model is simple: it sells fast-moving consumer goods — products that consumers use daily. Its wide range of brands are sold in 190+ countries, with 3.4bn people using Unilever products every day.

Second, Unilever is a big beast — currently valued at nearly £97bn– and a market leader in its field.

Third, its dividend yield of 3.8% a year is below the Footsie’s 4% cash yield, but the group has steadily increased these payouts for decades.

That said, this business has suffered from slowing or negative sales growth since growth peaked in 2021. Also, high inflation has hit consumer spending, hitting margins. Even so, we’re on board Unilever for long-term passive income, not short-term price movements!

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

HSBC Holdings is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Cliff D’Arcy has an economic interest in BP, Diageo, GSK, Rio Tinto, and Unilever shares. The Motley Fool UK has recommended AstraZeneca, British American Tobacco, Diageo, GSK, HSBC Holdings, RELX, and Unilever. 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.

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