The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indexes are jam-packed with great dividend stocks. We’re talking about high-yield heroes, long-running dividend growers, and a mixture of the two.
My own Stocks and Shares ISA and Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) hold a wide range of income shares. They’re all quality in my view — I wouldn’t own them otherwise — but some of them really stand out from the crowd.
Aviva (LSE:AV.), Coca-Cola HBC (LSE:CCH), and Primary Health Properties (LSE:PHP) are three of my favourites right now. Want to know what makes them brilliant dividend shares to consider? Read on.
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Aviva
For 2026, the dividend yield on Aviva shares is an enormous 6%. To put that into context, the broader forward average on FTSE shares is less than half that level, at 2.9%.
Supported by exceptional cash flows, dividends have risen strongly since they were cut during the pandemic. Heavy streamlining has made the financial services giant an impressive cash-generating machine, and with a focus capital-light businesses (like the recently-acquired Direct Line) it intends to stay that way. This naturally bodes well for future investor payouts.
I’m expecting Aviva to keep delivering a large and growing dividend over time. Demographic changes and increasing interest in financial planning — combined with the company’s wide suite of products — puts it in great shape for strong earnings growth.
While Aviva faces significant competition across its markets, on balance I think it’s a top stock to consider.
Coca-Cola HBC
At 3%, Coca-Cola HBC doesn’t offer the largest forward dividend yield out there. There are FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 shares with far higher yields than this (like Aviva).
This wasn’t anywhere near a dealbreaker for me, though, when I bought it for my SIPP. In other respects, I think the soft drinks giant’s one of the best dividend stocks money can buy today.
Coca-Cola HBC has one of the longest records of uninterrupted dividend growth out there (it’s on course to print its thirteenth straight year of rises in 2025). And shareholder payouts have grown at a stunning pace, too, up more than 11% on average over the last decade.
Can the Coke bottler keep delivering, though? I think it can. Despite competitive pressures, I think the star brand power of its drinks and focus on the stable consumer staples sector will keep fuelling dividends.
Primary Health Properties
I think real estate investment trust (or REIT) Primary Health Properties offers the best of both worlds for dividend investors.
For those chasing growth, it ticks the boxes emphatically. Annual payouts have risen every year here since the 1990s. With a 7.5% dividend yield for 2026, too, it also offers cash rewards well above the market average.
Dividends aren’t guaranteed, of course. And like any property stock, income levels could disappoint if occupancy levels dip or tenants don’t pay the rent.
These risks are extremely low with Primary Health Properties, in my view. It has more than 500 properties in its portfolio, which spreads out risk. Equally (if not more importantly), it operates in the highly stable healthcare sector. Finally, a large portion of its rental rolls are backed by public sector organisations.
