The FTSE 250 is currently (19 January) home to some of the most generous dividend shares on the UK stock market. One example is Harbour Energy (LSE:HBR). Based on amounts paid over the past 12 months, for every £1,000 invested, shareholders could earn £95 in passive income.
But such a high yield is rare. Could the stock be something of a value trap? Let’s take a look.
Up and down
In its relatively short stock exchange life – it only listed in April 2021 — Harbour Energy has steadily increased its dividend. However, at the same time, its share price has been falling. As an example, since January 2025, it’s down 28%, the outcome of which is a higher yield. But at least the price is up almost 6% over the past six months.
| Financial year | Share price (pence) | Dividend per share (pence) | Yield (%) | Brent crude price ($/barrel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.12.21 | 354 | 8.22 | 2.3 | 70.86 |
| 31.12.22 | 304 | 17.19 | 5.7 | 100.93 |
| 31.12.23 | 309 | 18.69 | 6.1 | 82.49 |
| 31.12.24 | 255 | 18.83 | 7.4 | 80.52 |
| 31.12.25 | 197 | 19.72 (forecast) | 10.0 | 69.14 |
Inevitably, the group’s share price will ebb and flow in line with global energy prices, which can be volatile. However, the group faces another issue. Until recently, it was heavily reliant on the North Sea for its production. This is a problem because the UK government taxes the profit generated from the country’s waters at an incredibly high rate of 78%.
To try and mitigate the impact on its earnings, the group’s expanded its interests overseas.
What’s it doing?
In December 2023, it announced that it was acquiring the upstream assets of Wintershall Dea in an $11.2bn deal. It now means the majority of the group’s production comes from outside the UK’s continental shelf. And it’s significantly reduced its operating cost per barrel. But since releasing details of the deal, its share price has fallen by approximately a third.
Similarly, just before Christmas, it said it was buying LLOG Exploration Company (LLOG) for $3.2bn. On completion, this will give it access to the Gulf of Mexico for the first time. But since then, its share price has been largely unchanged.
As a Harbour Energy shareholder, I find this frustrating. But at least I can take comfort from its above-average dividend. However, as a seasoned investor, I know there can never be any guarantees when it comes to shareholder returns.
Indeed, in the press release accompanying news of the LLOG purchase, the group said its intention was to move its policy on distributions to a “payout ratio approach in 2026, incorporating a base dividend and share buybacks“.
What does this mean? I’m not exactly sure. It sounds as though the group will pay a fixed percentage of profit by way of dividends each year. Although the company says it expects its payout to be “competitive”, a cut could be coming.
Final thoughts
Even so, I remain hopeful that the group’s in a position to grow its earnings in the coming years. And that should be good news for its share price. The LLOG deal’s expected to be “free cash flow per share accretive” from 2027, which the group says will help reduce its debt.
Acknowledging that the company might not appeal to ethical investors, I think its shares are worth considering, even with the risk that a dividend reduction could be on the cards. For 2025, the group expects its free cash flow to be $1bn. This is impressive given a backdrop of relatively low energy prices and the UK windfall tax. Expanding overseas is likely to improve this further.
