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

Estate Agent Talk

Castles, cottages, vineyards and barn conversions

The latest data from LandSale has revealed what buyers can expect to pay, and how much they can get for their money if they want to escape to the country, with castles, vineyards, barn conversions, and cottages currently offering very different routes to rural living. The analysis draws on LandSale’s internal listing data and examines…
Read More →
Breaking News

Poor property maintenance could wipe £59,000 in value

The latest research by property management specialist, Rushbrook, has revealed that landlords who fail to adequately maintain their rental properties could see as much as £30,172 wiped from the value of the average buy-to-let investment across England, with this potential loss climbing to almost £59,000 in London.   Rushbrook analysed landlord-specific property values across each…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/8/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why Angela Rayner Housing Secretary is in the wrong job – again   A smile, bluster and vague soundbites will not solve the UK housing crisis  Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton – CEO Proptech-PR  ‘I have been involved in the UK property industry since the mid 1980’s…
Read More →
Breaking News

Buyers Looking Beyond London

London new-build demand plummets behind commuter belt as buyers look beyond the capital   Demand for new-build homes in Essex more than three times higher than in London, while Hertfordshire faces supply squeeze amid growing buyer appetite   The latest research by UK Property Development has revealed a growing divide between London’s new-build market and…
Read More →
Finance

Top six tips for first-time buyers

Independent mortgage broker, Flagstone Financial, has outlined key advice for first-time buyers, pointing to flexible options as signs of an improving mortgage market.   With high loan-to-value lending (80–95%) becoming more widely available, the property ladder is more accessible than in recent years, and experts at Flagstone Financial, partner of the Beresfords Group, are advising…
Read More →
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

England’s rental stock surges by as much as 86.6% in a year

Rental listings have almost doubled in Tyne and Wear since August 2025, with Greater Manchester and a host of other markets also recording double-digit growth   The latest research from Propoly has revealed that England’s rental listings have climbed by an average of 7.4% in the past year, led by an 86.6% increase in Tyne and…
Read More →