We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best FTSE Dividend Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) stands against the other FTSE dividend stocks.
The first half of 2024 has been notable for the UK equity market, as the FTSE 100, the benchmark index for UK company shares, hit a record high. However, stocks tumbled in the first week of June as financial shares mirrored broader losses in European markets. That was mainly due to the political uncertainty that unsettled investors and a slump in industrial mining stocks further dragged down the market. That said, with some time remaining in the general elections, there is still some potential for additional developments and surprises within the UK market. The index is up by nearly 6% this year so far, compared with a 14.3% return of the broader US market
The Bank of England (BoE) was one of the first central banks to begin increasing interest rates after the peak of the COVID pandemic. From December 2021 to August 2023, it raised the bank rate by 515 basis points to a 16-year high of 5.25% in order to address rising inflationary pressures in the economy. According to a Reuters poll of economists, the BoE is expected to begin cutting interest rates in August. Most economists also anticipate at least one more rate reduction this year, despite ongoing high inflation in wages and services. Yael Selfin, chief UK economist at KPMG, made the following comment on the situation:
“While we are seeing some tentative signs of cooling in the labor market, service sector inflation remains persistently high and it is likely the MPC would want to wait until the next set of forecasts and a few more data points before it embarks on its first rate cut.”
Overall, UK inflation is expected to remain slightly above the BoE’s target of 2.0% in every quarter until at least the end of 2025, according to the poll. Median forecasts indicated that inflation would average 2.5% this year and 2.2% next year.
After reaching new highs in 2024, the FTSE 100 may attract more investors, particularly those focused on income accumulation. The projected dividend yield of 3.8% for 2024 and 4.1% for 2025 is appealing, especially since these yields surpass the current inflation rate. Analysts predict that the ten largest dividend-paying companies in the UK will return £43.9 billion to shareholders, accounting for 55% of the total dividends from the FTSE 100. The top 20 companies are expected to contribute £57.4 billion, making up 72% of the total dividends.
In 2023, UK dividend growth of 5.4% aligned with the global average, according to a report by Janus Henderson. This increase was driven by substantial dividend increases from banks and oil producers, although it was tempered by lower payouts from mining companies. The report further mentioned that annual dividends in the UK grew to $86 billion in 2023 from over $63 billion in 2020.
While investors gravitate toward American dividend stocks, some of the best FTSE dividend stocks also offer similar investment opportunities.
Our Methodology:
For this article, we scanned through the list of FTSE stocks and picked dividend stocks from the list. From the resultant dataset, we picked the 10 best FTSE dividend stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors tracked by Insider Monkey as of Q1 2024. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
A gas refinery lit up against the night sky, showing the scale of the company’s petrochemical operations.
Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 50
Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) tops our list of the best FTSE dividend stocks. The London-based oil and gas company currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.688 per ADS and its stock has dividend yield of 3.90%. In February, the company raised its payout seventh time after slashing its dividend in 2020 in the face of the pandemic, which plummeted oil prices. Moreover, it has paid regular dividends to shareholders since 1985.
For the first quarter, Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) reported a nearly 17% year-over-year decline in revenue at $72.5 billion. However, its cash position remains strong, offering reassurance to investors. The company’s operating cash flow for the quarter came in at $13.3 billion and it returned $5 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Moreover, it completed $3.5 billion of share buybacks that were announced in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Despite fluctuations in oil prices. Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL)’s production remained intact. In the first quarter, its total oil and gas production rose by 10% compared to the previous quarter, driven by reduced maintenance at Prelude and Pearl GTL facilities. LNG liquefaction volumes also increased by 7%, largely due to decreased maintenance at Prelude.
Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) is dedicated to achieving a 100% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Until 2030, it plans to maintain oil production at 1.4 million barrels per day. Moreover, the company aims to expand its liquefied natural gas business, expecting a demand increase of over 50% by 2040. The company’s balanced strategy appears somewhat successful, as seen in its latest quarterly adjusted earnings of $7.7 billion, exceeding both analysts’ forecasts and the previous quarter’s earnings of $7.3 billion.
The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey holding stakes in Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) grew to 50 in at the end of March, from 46 a quarter earlier. The total value of these stakes is more than $5.5 billion.
Overall SHEL ranks 1st on our list of the best FTSE dividend stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best FTSE Dividend Stocks To Buy Now to see the other FTSE dividend stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential of SHEL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SHEL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: Michael Burry Is Selling These Stocks and Jim Cramer is Recommending These Stocks.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.