Knowing which income stocks are the best to buy is a handy advantage for investors seeking to build long-term wealth. Of course, therein lies the challenge. Identifying winners in retrospect is obvious and easy, but knowing who the winners will be ahead of time is a far, far harder feat.
Luckily, by looking at what the professionals are recommending, investors can quickly narrow down the list. So with that in mind, here are two of the top picks from the experts at AJ Bell.
1. A specialist insurer
Lancashire Holdings (LSE:LRE) has largely flown under the radar in recent years despite the wider insurance sector taking off, thanks to higher interest rates. That’s largely down to its lack of exposure to the pension risk transfer market and instead being primarily focused on catastrophe insurance and reinsurance across the aerospace, property, marine, and energy sectors.
Yet, the business has nonetheless continued to deliver robust results. And even with the group’s exposure to the 2025 California wildfires, the losses proved more than manageable, with the leadership even raising its return on equity guidance for the full year.
While encouraging, it’s important to recognise that catastrophe insurance is notably susceptible to geopolitical and economic shocks as well as unpredictable large-scale events. And in the current global climate, the company could encounter new challenges throughout 2026.
Nevertheless, Lancashire’s disciplined and diversified approach to underwriting is one of the main reasons why AJ Bell has flagged it as a potentially lucrative income pick. Even more so, considering the dividend’s on track for three consecutive years of payout hikes.
2. Dependable pharmaceuticals
Another recommendation for 2026 by AJ Bell the analysts is pharmaceutical giant GSK (LSE:GSK). While not a direct income stock pick, the experts specifically highlighted its steady dividend profile, strategic direction, and its wider sector resilience to potential economic slowdowns.
Looking at the group’s latest third-quarter results, it isn’t hard to see why the professionals like this business. Its Speciality Medicines revenue jumped 16% to £3.4bn, Respiratory & Immunology surged 15% to £1bn, with its vaccine portfolio continuing to generate steady sales of £2.7bn.
On a constant currency basis, that puts the group’s nine-month core earnings growth at 11%, enabling full-year dividends to be bumped up for the third year in a row as well.
Like Lancashire, GSK also has its risks. Several of its blockbuster drug patents are approaching maturity. And when these expire, generic pharmaceutical rivals will undoubtedly swoop in to steal market share.
The good news is that GSK has a fairly diversified pipeline of novel drugs in late-stage clinical trials to replace the incoming loss of exclusive revenue. But that also means if any of these drug candidates fail to live up to expectations, GSK’s cash flow could soon face significant pressure – a critical risk for investors to consider carefully.
The bottom line
At 2.8% and 3.4% respectively, neither of these income stocks have their highest yield out there. But crucially, both seem to have a pathway to keep hiking payouts over time. As such, while the yields may not be impressive today, that could change in the future.
With that in mind, I think both businesses deserve a closer look. But they’re not the only passive income opportunities I’ve spotted in 2026.
