Dividend stocks come in many shapes and sizes. Some traditional areas for income investors are property and finance. However, there are some more unusual stocks that can offer me a very interesting opportunity to buy at the moment. Here are two high-yield options I’m considering.
The light bulb moment
First up is the SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust (LSE:SEIT). The trust does what it says on the tin, namely investing in energy efficiency infrastructure projects. It makes money from these projects as they usually involve contracts with governments or private sector users. Further, some deals enable the trust to actually make money from the sale of electricity or other energy generated.
Over the past year, the stock is down 17%. This has helped to push the dividend yield up to 10.23%, making it certainly an eye-catching company for income hunters.
One reason why the share price has fallen over this period is due to loss before tax of £56m for 2024. Even though this included £118m of unrealised losses due to “discount rate increases”, it’s still a hit. The Chairman commented on continued “market uncertainty”, which is a risk going forward.
However, I’m not overly concerned about the dividend being significantly cut. The dividend declared in March is fully cash covered. The 6.24p per share is an increase of the 6p paid the year prior. So it’s clear that growing dividends is a focus for the firm.
Let’s also not forget that the transition to cleaner energy is a key theme for the long term.
Dividends backed by assets
Another idea is the GCP Asset Backed Income Fund (LSE:GABI). Over the past year, the stock is up 33%, yet it still has an impressive 8.11% dividend yield.
The fund is different to many because it only invests in income-generating products that are backed by assets, or that have contracted cash flows. In this way, it aims to reduce the risk of income suddenly getting cut, or being left with something that has no value.
It has 32 holdings in the portfolio at the moment, including care homes, football asset financing and student accommodation. This diversified portfolio is quite unique and should allow the cash to keep flowing in the future.
One risk is that even though the investments are backed by assets, they might not be liquid. For example, it might take some time to sell a care home and get the cash in the event of a default.
I like both ideas, and it goes to show that sometimes I can find gems when I go off the beaten track outside of the FTSE 100. When I get some more free cash, I’ll be looking to buy both for my income portfolio.
