Real estate, finance and consumer staples bringing best returns across UK Dividend Aristocrats

May 27, 2020

Real estate may be in uncertain waters, but there are no less than two UK real estate companies leading the charge where UK Dividend Aristocrats and the highest dividends yields are concerned.

Peer to peer lending platform, Sourced Capital, analysed the top 40 UK companies that have consistently provided an increase or stable dividends for at least seven consecutive years and are therefore classed as Dividends Aristocrats by the S&P.

Sourced Capital then looked at the dividends yield for shareholders of these companies over the course of the year based on share price and declared dividends, to see which is proving the best currently based on the cost of investing and their return.

The figures show that the strongest performing sector is the financial sector, accounting for 24% of the top 40 UK Dividend Aristocrats. Consumer discretionary also ranked high with 21% of companies operating within this sector, with the industrial sector (12%), consumer staples (12%) and communication services (9%) also performing well at present.

At 5%, the real estate sector accounted for one of the lowest percentages of UK based Dividend Aristocrats but when it comes to the companies themselves, it’s a different story.

Hammerson plc tops the table of all 40 UK Dividend Aristocrats with an impressive dividend yield of 20.7% over the last 12 months.

Investec plc flies the flag for the financial sector in second place with a yield of 15.4% in the last year, followed by Imperial Brands plc (consumer staples) at 12.7% and Marks and Spencers (consumer discretionary) at 11.3%.

Other companies to make the list within the financial sector include Legal and General Group plc (8.6%), Jupiter Fund Management plc (7.6%) and 3i Group (4.9%).

SSE plc (7.5%) is the only company within the top 10 operating within the utilities sector, while British American Tobacco plc is the second from the consumer staples sector, and British Land Company plc (6.1%) completes the list as the second real estate company in the list.

Sector allocation of top 40 UK Dividend Aristocrats
Sector
% of aristocrat group
Financial
24%
Consumer Discretionary
21%
Industrial
12%
Consumer Staples
12%
Communication services
9%
Utilities
7%
Health care
6%
Materials
5%
Real estate
5%
Top 10 – UK Dividend Aristocrats ranking
Company Name
Sector
Dividend yield (last 12 months)
Hammerson plc
Real Estate
20.7%
Investec plc
Financials
15.4%
Imperial Brands PLC
Consumer Staples
12.7%
Marks and Spencer Group plc
Consumer Discretionary
11.3%
Legal & General Group Plc
Financials
8.6%
Jupiter Fund Management plc
Financials
7.6%
SSE plc
Utilities
7.5%
British American Tobacco p.l.c.
Consumer Staples
7.1%
British Land Company PLC
Real Estate
6.1%
3i Group plc
Financials
4.9%

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Office space back in favour as return to workplace drives commercial demand

The latest research by BPS London has revealed that office space is currently the most in-demand commercial property asset across England, as the continued return to a physical workplace sees offices fall back in favour with British businesses. BPS London analysed investor demand across the commercial property market, assessing the proportion of available opportunities within…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 14/1/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Latest Weil European Distress Index (WEDI) points to a materially more fragile outlook  Europe’s corporate distress picture appeared to stabilise on the surface in Q4 2025, but the latest Weil European Distress Index (WEDI) points to a materially more fragile outlook moving into 2026.…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 15/1/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Pan-European €400m micro-living portfolio to be managed and digitised by Reos  Prop.com, a leading real estate investment manager focused on unlocking value for investors through digital technology, has launched a strategic partnership with property management and digitalisation specialist Reos GmbH to develop one of…
Read More →
Breaking News

South East sees most sellers relisting

New research from Property DriveBuy reveals that sellers who are re-entering the market are reducing their asking price by an average of £5,300 to try and snag a buyer, but in London this reduction climbs as high as £27,000, while the South East is the region where most sellers are relisting this year having failed…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Average rents rise by 2% in 2025, predicted to rise by further 2% in 2026

The average advertised rent of homes outside of London fell in Q4 2025 by 1.1% (-£15), dropping to £1,370 per calendar month. It’s only the second time in five years that quarterly rents have fallen: Across the whole of 2025, average advertised rents rose by 2.2% compared to 2024 As the market settles into a…
Read More →
Breaking News

Landlord Demographics Remain Broadly Unchanged

Propertymark analyses the latest figures from the English Private Landlord Survey 2024, published alongside headline findings from the English Housing Survey 2024–25, showing that the profile of private landlords in England has remained remarkably consistent with previous surveys, even as landlords navigate ongoing tax changes and evolving standards and expectations. The data highlights that the…
Read More →