Passive income? I reckon this UK dividend stock could be one of the best shares to buy today

Paul Summers has been scouring the market for ways to make passive income. He thinks this FTSE 250 (INDEXFTSE:MCX) member may be one of the best shares to buy.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

positive mental health woman

Image source: Getty Image

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

Although cash returns can never be guaranteed, I consider buying dividend-paying stocks to be one of the least taxing ways of generating passive income. Today, I’m focusing my attention on what I believe to be one of the best shares to buy on the UK market.

On song

FTSE 250 member Hipgnosis Songs Fund (LSE: SONG) invests in music royalty rights. Every time someone streams a track it owns, Hipgnosis receives a cut, albeit a very small one. The £1.2bn-cap already had almost 61,000 songs on its books by January. A little over 3,000 of these have hit the top spot in the charts. Recent catalogue additions includes work by Neil Young and Shakira. 

The performance of SONG since it arrived on the market in July 2018 has been solid, although not spectacular. Anyone buying the shares when Hipgnosis listed will have seen their capital grow by around 15%.

As one might expect, it’s not been a straight line up. Like everything else, the shares tumbled in 2020 as the coronavirus took hold. Then again, anyone buying the shares at the bottom of the market crash would have enjoyed an even bigger gain of around 28% by now. Naturally, this is far below the recovery seen in glitzy tech stocks. However, it’s a far better return than that of the FTSE 250 index as a whole over the same period.

Share price performance aside, it’s the dividend stream that interests me the most about Hipgnosis.

Cheap income

Analysts expect the business to return 5p per share to holders in the current financial year. This gives a yield of 4.2%, based on the price of the stock as I type.

Now, 4.2% may not be the biggest cash return I can find in the FTSE 250, but it’s not to be sniffed at. Let’s not ignore the fact that the best Cash ISA currently returns just 0.55% in interest. While keeping some cash in reserve for life’s little emergencies is prudent, holding any more than truly necessary will seriously limit the ability to grow one’s wealth. 

Another attraction to SONG’s dividends is that they’re likely to be covered over twice by profits. This means a cut looks unlikely as things stand. What a contrast to many other supposedly-reliable income stocks on the market!

But the dividend stream isn’t the only thing that makes me think Hipgnosis may be one of the best shares to buy today. A price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 10 looks cheap, even if capital gains aren’t a priority.

It’s also worth paying attention to the firm’s PEG (price/earnings to growth) ratio. As a rough rule of thumb, anything below 1.0 suggests investors are getting a lot of bang for their buck. Hipgnosis’ PEG ratio is just 0.4. 

Not without risk

Although I consider Hipgnosis to be among the best shares to buy, no investment is without risk. There’s always a chance the company may be overpaying for the rights it’s buying. There’s also no guarantee that listening tastes won’t change and the popularity of formerly-lucrative artists may fall. 

On top of the above, you have the 1.35% ongoing charge eating into returns. While nothing in this world comes free, it’s vital to consider the opportunity cost of not buying other income-generating stocks where the only ongoing fee is charged by the broker.

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Paul Summers has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Investing Articles

Are these the best stocks to buy on the FTSE right now?

With the UK stock market on the way to hitting new highs, this Fool is considering which are the best…

Read more »

Petrochemical engineer working at night with digital tablet inside oil and gas refinery plant
Investing Articles

Can the Centrica dividend keep on growing?

Christopher Ruane considers some positive factors that might see continued growth in the Centrica dividend -- as well as some…

Read more »

Smiling family of four enjoying breakfast at sunrise while camping
Investing Articles

How I’d turn my £12,000 of savings into passive income of £1,275 a month

This Fool is considering a strategy that he believes can help him achieve a stable passive income stream with a…

Read more »

Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

2 top FTSE 250 investment trusts trading at attractive discounts!

This pair of discounted FTSE 250 trusts appear to be on sale right now. Here's why I'd scoop up their…

Read more »

Smiling young man sitting in cafe and checking messages, with his laptop in front of him.
Investing Articles

3 things that could push the Lloyds share price to 60p and beyond

The Lloyds share price has broken through 50p. Next step 60p? And then what? Here are some thoughts on what…

Read more »

Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

£1,000 in Rolls-Royce shares a year ago would be worth this much now

Rolls-Royce shares have posted one of the best stock market gains of the past 12 months. But what might the…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Are HSBC shares a FTSE bargain? Here’s what the charts say!

There are plenty of dirt-cheap FTSE 100 banking stocks for investors to choose from today. Our writer Royston Wild believes…

Read more »

Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

Just released: Share Advisor’s latest ‘Hold’ recommendation [PREMIUM PICKS]

In our Share Advisor newsletter service, we provide buy, sell, and hold guidance for our universe of recommendations.

Read more »