In my view, there’s no better place to go hunting for dividend shares than the London stock market. With a deep-rooted culture of paying passive income, and years of share price underperformance, it can be a passive income investor’s paradise.
The following two shares have both caught my attention: Central Asia Metals (LSE:CAML) and Legal & General (LSE:LGEN). Each carries a forward yield north of 8% and trades on an undemanding earnings multiple. The question is, are these dividend stocks brilliant bargains or value traps?
A copper-bottomed bargain?
Copper stocks like Central Asia Metals have enormous long-term earnings potential. Red metal demand is tipped to significantly outstrip supply growth over the next decade, which could launch prices of the commodity higher.
The problem is this particular mining share has faced operational issues of late (more on this later). Its share price has dropped 21% in the year to date, inflating its forward dividend yield to 11.8% and pulling the P/E ratio down to 5.1.
Does this represent an attractive dip buying opportunity? For investors seeking a reliable passive income, I’m not so sure.
Central Asia Metals slashed the full-year payout in 2025 to 12p per share. That marks a 33% reduction from the prior year, in line with its policy of paying 30%-50% of free cash flow out in dividends.
The problem I have is production trouble can cause significant stress for cash flows and profits. And Central Asia’s had its share of issues of late, with declining ore grades prompting it to cut output forecasts. Lower production doesn’t just hit revenues: it also means greater costs per unit mined.
The company’s long-term earnings and dividend outlook has also darkened after it reduced mine life forecasts at a key project. The Sasa zinc-lead asset in North Macedonia is now expected to cease production in 2034, a full five years earlier than previously expected.
This copper miner now carries too much risk for me.
A FTSE 100 dividend star?
At 8.3%, Legal & General shares offer the greatest dividend yield on the FTSE 100. With a forward P/E ratio of 9.4, too, it seems to offer excellent all-round value.
Is this another potential dividend trap to avoid? Like any share it carries risk, but its income credentials speak for themselves. Payouts have risen every year for the last 16, excluding pandemic-struck 2020.
Furthermore, the yield on Legal & General shares has consistently ranged between 6% and 9% for the last five years. So its gigantic yield today doesn’t reflect a sharp share price drop.
But can the Footsie firm keep its proud record going? One thing to keep an eye on is its declining Solvency II capital ratio. This ended 2025 at 210%, down from 232% a year earlier. Given that Legal & General’s expected dividends are barely covered by earnings over the next few years, this creates a clear risk.
That said, the firm’s Solvency II ratio is still more than double regulatory requirements. And it’s tipped by analysts to remain above 190% over the next three years, underpinning dividend forecasts over the period.
Looking longer term, I expect Legal & General to remain cash rich as demographic changes drive financial services demand. And so I’m confident the market-beating dividends should keep on coming.
