As the ISA deadline looms (5 April), investors seeking to generate a passive income for their retirement face a tough decision. The Iran conflict has triggered a stock market correction, defined as shares falling 10% in a short period of time.
As a result, dividend yields have surged. This means investors can get more passive income for the same money, but they also face bigger risks. So what should they do?
Of course, there’s no definitive answer. Much depends on how the Middle East conflict pans out, and the truth is, nobody knows. If we get a quick peace deal, shares could rocket across the board, and today’s bargain-buying opportunity may suddenly vanish. But if it drags on, and we get severe oil and gas shortages, today’s correction could turn into a full-blown crash.
Trying to second-guess the market’s impossible at the best of times. Today, it’s a ridiculous proposition. So the decision comes down to the individual investor.
High FTSE 100 volatility
If an investor can safely tuck money away for at least five years, and ideally longer, now does look like an exciting moment. We’ve already had three panics this decade, triggered by Covid, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Donald Trump’s ‘liberation tariffs’. In every case, share prices bounced back at speed.
Could Iran be the exception? Investors certainly have to be brave to buy shares right now, amid talk of $200-a-barrel oil, rationing and shortages. Crucially, they need to take a long-term view, to give time for today’s troubles to pass.
There are some stunning FTSE 100 dividends today. Legal & General Group (LSE: LGEN) leads the pack with a trailing yield of 9.1%. Standard Life (formerly Phoenix Group) is close behind at 8.2%. Land Securities Group yields 7.4% and wealth manager M&G yields 7.3%.
Another five FTSE 100 stocks yield 6% or more, and six yield 5%+. It’s an exciting time to go shopping for income. But scary. Dividends aren’t guaranteed.
Let’s look at the biggest yielder of the lot: Legal & General Group. When a yield gets that high, investors do need to ask serious questions. Basically, is it sustainable?
Legal & General Group has a crazy yield
Legal & General has a good record. The board increased shareholder payouts every year this millennium, with three exceptions. It cut dividends in 2008 and 2009 due to the financial crisis, and froze them in 2020 due to Covid. In every case, once the crisis eased, dividend growth quickly resumed. But like I say, this time could be different. We just don’t know.
The Legal & General share price has dipped 9% over the last troubled month. More worryingly, it’s flat over 12 months and trades at similar levels to 10 years ago. I hold the stock but I’ve learned to treat it as primarily an income play. I’ll treat any growth as a bonus.
Legal & General’s a solid blue-chip and worth considering though. One option is to drip feed money into its shares, taking advantage of any further dips. But don’t leave it too long. The risk is that markets rocket instead.
And there are more FTSE 100 passive income opportunities I’d consider today.
