Yesterday, I highlighted three stocks from the FTSE 100 that, thanks to their generous dividends, could be great ways for me to beat the rise in the cost of living. Today, I’ve expanded my search for inflation-busters to the FTSE 250.
Again, there’s no guarantee any of the companies mentioned below will always be in a position to return cash to holders, hence the need to stay appropriately diversified.
Green dividends
Renewables Infrastructure Group (LSE: TRIG) is a highly attractive option for tackling rising prices, in my opinion. The £3bn-cap company is expected to return 6.85p per share to holders in the current year. That’s a yield of 5.1%. By comparison, the FTSE 250 index can only offer 2.1% in passive income at the moment.
Another reason this company stands out for me is that it’s not missed a chance to hike annual dividends since listing on the UK market. True, these increases have been small, but I’d take this over big hikes that then become unsustainable.
At just over 15 times earnings, TRIG shares aren’t cheap, relative to the industry in which the company operates. However, they still look reasonably priced compared to the market as a whole. And buying here will allow me to tap into the sustainable energy trend that is only likely to get more popular with investors in the future.
As a source of stable income, TRIG definitely grabs my attention.
Down… but not out
I’ve been a stockholder in price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com (LSE: MONY) since last year. While I originally bought in for its recovery potential, the dividend stream is welcome in the interim as inflation ticks higher. The forecast yield for this year stands at a solid 6.7%.
One thing worth highlighting with Moneysupermarket is that profits only just about cover the payout. This could mean the company is forced to reduce its cash returns if (and that’s a big if) trading doesn’t bounce back as expected in 2022. Personally, I’m of the opinion that it will, hence why I remain invested here. Of course, I could be utterly wrong, which is why I’m also continuing to spread my money into other parts of the market.
Based on a 31% jump in earnings per share in 2022, MONY stock changes hands for a P/E of just under 13. For such a quality stock, that still looks a steal to me! But then I would say that.
8.3% yield from this FTSE 250 stock
Jupiter Fund Management (LSE: JUP) is by far the largest dividend payer of the three discussed here. Analysts have it returning an inflation-beating 8.3% in 2022.
Similar to other asset managers, Jupiter is unlikely to have benefited from the poor start to the year for markets. It will be interesting to see what CEO Andrew Formica has to say about the outlook later this month. Full-year numbers are revealed on 25 February.
I’m also conscious that the company is not exactly consistent when it comes to raising its cash returns to investors. This may continue in the future if Jupiter is forced to reduce its fees to compete with rivals. The huge popularity of passive funds is another headwind.
However, it seems that quite a lot of negativity is already in the price. Down 21% in the last 12 months, Jupiter shares now trade on a little less than 10 times earnings. I’d buy.
