2 top dividend shares to consider for a long-term passive income

Annual dividends are tipped to take off at these FTSE 250 and Alternative Investment Market (AIM) shares, as Royston Wild explains.

| 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.

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart

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.

Looking for top dividend shares to buy? Here are two offering excellent payout growth and large yields to consider.

In recovery

The housing sector’s steady recovery suggests that Springfield Properties (LSE:SPR) may be an attractive dividend share to think about. Helped by recent interest rate cuts and a mortgage market price war, buyer affordability is steadily improving and boosting demand for newbuild homes.

The pace of interest rates cuts remains uncertain. On the one hand, policymakers may feel compelled to cut interest rates to stimulate the weak UK economy. But their appetite to cut could be tempered by the problem of rising inflation.

Despite this uncertainty, Springfield Properties’ perky dividend forecasts merit serious attention in my book. Boosted by land sales in Central Scotland, revenues rose 5.3% in the 12 months to May, while pre-tax profits leapt 95.9%.

Critically for dividends, this recovery pulled the Scottish housebuilder’s net bank debt down to £20.9m at the end of the period from £39.9m a year earlier. So it doubled the full-year cash payout to 2p per share in financial 2025 from a year earlier.

City analysts are expecting further healthy dividend growth, to 2.3p per share this year and 4.5p in fiscal 2027. These figures yield 2.4% and 4.8%, respectively.

Bright forecasts

But how realistic are these forecasts? In my opinion, they’re pretty strong. Dividends for this year and next are covered between 2.1 times and 3.8 times by anticipated earnings. This leaves a wide margin of error in case the housing market recovery weakens.

Balance sheet repairs also put it in a stronger position to weather fresh market volatility, with a net bank debt to EBITDA ratio of just 0.8 as of May.

I’m confident Springfield’s in great shape to capitalise on rising housing demand as the local population grows. It is a leading UK housebuilder. And its new strategy of refocusing on the Highlands, Aberdeen, and Morayshire — where a renewable energy boom is driving jobs creation — could prove especially lucrative.

6% dividend yield

Tritax Big Box REIT (LSE:BBOX) is another dividend share that’s sensitive to interest rate movements. Not only this, but the prospect of a prolonged economic downturn could impact its property occupancy and rent collection.

Yet, City brokers aren’t expecting such risks to impact the real estate investment trust’s (REIT’s) strong recent record of dividend growth. Last year’s reward of 7.66p is tipped to rise to 8p in 2025. Another hike, to 8.4p in 2026, is also anticipated.

As a result, the dividend yield on Tritax shares is 5.7% and 6% for these years.

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.

Shareholder payouts from REITs are sensitive to broader economic conditions. But these property stocks still provide better dividend visibility than most other UK shares, thanks to unique sector rules. At least 90% of rental profits each year need to be returned to investors in the form of dividends.

I’m confident Tritax’s earnings and dividends will steadily rise over the long term, driven by hot growth trends like the growth of e-commerce and booming data centre demand.

Royston Wild has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Tritax Big Box REIT Plc. 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

£5,000 invested in these 3 UK stocks at the start of 2025 is now worth…

Mark Hartley breaks down the growth of three UK stocks that helped drive the FTSE 100 to new highs this…

Read more »

Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

Time to start preparing for a stock market crash?

2025's been an uneven year on stock markets. This writer is not trying to time the next stock market crash…

Read more »

Santa Clara offices of NVIDIA
Investing Articles

Nvidia stock’s had a great 2025. Can it keep going?

Christopher Ruane sees an argument for Nvidia stock's positive momentum to continue -- and another for the share price to…

Read more »

Close-up of a woman holding modern polymer ten, twenty and fifty pound notes.
Investing Articles

£20,000 in savings? Here’s how someone could aim to turn that into a £10,958 annual second income!

Earning a second income doesn't necessarily mean doing more work. Christopher Ruane highlights one long-term approach based on owning dividend…

Read more »

Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

My favourite FTSE value stock falls another 6% on today’s results – should I buy more?

Harvey Jones highlights a FTSE 100 value stock that he used to consider boring, but has been surprisingly volatile lately.…

Read more »

UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

See what £10,000 invested in the FTSE 100 at the start of 2025 is worth today…

Harvey Jones is thrilled by the stunning performance of the FTSE 100, but says he's having a lot more fun…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Prediction: here’s where the latest forecasts show the Vodafone share price going next

With the Vodafone turnaround strategy progressing, strong cash flow forecasts could be the key share price driver for the next…

Read more »

Front view of a young couple walking down terraced Street in Whitley Bay in the north-east of England they are heading into the town centre and deciding which shops to go to they are also holding hands and carrying bags over their shoulders.
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a SIPP or ISA to aim for a £2,500 monthly pension income?

Harvey Jones says many investors overlook the value of a SIPP in building a second income for later life, and…

Read more »