Passive income is money earned from doing very little. And what’s not to like about that? My preferred way of generating a second income stream is to invest in stocks and shares.
But by reinvesting the dividends received – instead of spending them — I believe it’s possible, over the long term, for an individual to significantly increase their wealth and income.
Some numbers
For example, putting £250 a month into a Stocks and Shares ISA for 25 years, at a rate of 6.75% (this is the annual average increase of the FTSE 100 from 2015-2024 with all dividends reinvested) would grow to £195,782. At this point, it could generate an annual income of £13,215 or approximately £1,101 a month.
And I reckon an ISA is the perfect place to hold a portfolio of dividend shares. That’s because all income (and capital gains) can be earned tax free.
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. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.
As a precaution, it’s a good idea to spread the risk across a number of positions. After all, dividends are never guaranteed and shares can go down as well as up. The precise number to hold depends on an investor’s appetite for risk, as well as the size of the portfolio, although 20 is often quoted as a good benchmark.
Once an ISA has been opened, funds deployed, and the target number of holdings has been established, the next thing to do is to find some stocks to buy.
Shopping around
One of my favourite income shares is Supermarket Income REIT (LSE:SUPR). Its simple business model involves maximising the rental income from its portfolio of supermarkets in the UK and France.
To maintain its status as a real estate investment trust (REIT) and, therefore, retain certain tax privileges, it must pay dividends each year equal to 90% of its relevant profit. Based on amounts paid over the past 12 months, the stock’s now (9 January) yielding 7.4%. In cash terms, its dividend is 4.7% higher than it was for its June 2021 financial year.
In December 2025, the group announced it had completed the acquisition of three supermarkets at a combined cost of £98m. This followed a busy November, when it spent nearly £350m on expanding its portfolio. Some of this was via a joint venture with Blue Owl Capital. It now estimates that its loan-to-value is 43% and its WAULT (weighted average unexpired lease term) is 12 years.
But it’s unlikely that its share price performance is going to match some of the more exciting stocks on the UK market. I believe taking a position is more about income than capital growth.
And with most of its acquisitions being funded by debt, its level of borrowing – and vulnerability to a higher interest rate environment – is something to monitor.
Worth considering
However, it has an impressive list of blue-chip tenants. The trust claims that its exposure to “investment grade clients” is now 75%. And the majority of its agreements provide for annual inflation-linked rent increases. Also, by whatever method people choose to buy their groceries — whether it be in-store, click and collect, or home delivery — a physical shop’s going to be needed.
On this basis, I think Supermarket Income REIT’s a dividend stock to consider. It’s one of many UK shares that I think could provide a generous passive income stream over the coming years.
