British Dividend Companies: High-Yield UK Stocks List

Shell and HSBC Holdings are the two largest dividend payers among UK-listed companies, and the five biggest payers in the FTSE 100 collectively account for nearly a third of total dividend payments. The UK market has a long-standing reputation as a high-yielding market, structurally producing higher average dividend yields than most other developed markets. All stocks below trade on the London Stock Exchange in British pounds.

The S&P UK High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index, managed by S&P Dow Jones Indices, targets around 40 stocks that have increased or maintained stable dividends for at least seven consecutive years — a considerably shorter requirement than the 25-year streak needed for US dividend aristocrats. Constituents must also have a float-adjusted market capitalisation of at least $1 billion and a maximum payout ratio of 100%.

The sectors that dominate British dividend companies are:

• Financials (~26% of the Aristocrats index): HSBC Holdings, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Legal & General, Aviva, Phoenix Group
• Energy: Shell, BP — two of the UK’s largest high-yield dividend stocks
• Tobacco / Consumer Staples: British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands (the fourth-largest tobacco company globally by market share)
• Industrials (~19% of the index): A broad group that can see payouts fluctuate more with economic conditions
• Pharmaceuticals: GSK
• Mining: Rio Tinto — though mining dividends tend to be more cyclical

The only ETF currently tracking this index is the SPDR S&P UK Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF (ticker: UKDV), launched in February 2012 and domiciled in Ireland. It uses full replication and distributes dividends semi-annually. For a broader look at high-yield UK stocks alongside European peers, see our European dividend aristocrats page.

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The table below lists leading British dividend stocks traded on the LSE, with live data on yield, payout ratio, and market capitalisation updated regularly.