If you’re looking for dividend stocks, you may want to consider searching the FTSE 250 for shares to buy.
The FTSE 100‘s still packed with market-leading businesses that have strong balance sheets and diversified revenue streams. These are critical qualities for any quality dividend-paying share. But rapid share price gains mean the dividend yields on many of these top shares have crumbled.
Today, the number of FTSE 250 stocks offering forward dividend yields above 7% is 41. That’s more than five times the number currently listed on the FTSE 100. Not all of these are rock-solid buys for passive income, either in the near term or beyond. But a large number are, sharing the same enviable qualities as many high-yielding Footsie shares.
So which ones are worth serious consideration?
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7%+ dividend yields!
Unite Group (LSE:UTG) and Supermarket Income REIT (LSE:SUPR) are two top shares I don’t yet own but have caught my eye. At current share prices, their forward dividend yields sit at 7.7% and 7.8% respectively.
The result? A £20,000 lump sum invested across them today could generate total dividends of £1,550 over the next 12 months.
Unite’s the largest provider of student accommodation in the UK. Its portfolio comprises 142 different properties across 22 cities, providing a steady stream of income it can pay out in dividends. Its share price has collapsed 12% in 2026, as tough economic conditions have seen cash-strapped students prioritise living at home over staying in digs.
The good news? As well as driving the yield close to 8%, Unite shares trade on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 7.5 times. This represents an attractive dip-buying opportunity to think about.
The student accommodation market is under pressure right now, but the long-term outlook remains robust. And Unite has a strong balance sheet to maintain strong dividends in the meantime. This should be helped by the firm’s plans to divest £300m-£400m worth of low-quality assets each year.
Another REIT opportunity?
Like Unite, Supermarket Income REIT is a real estate investment trust. This can carry an additional advantage for passive income seekers as, under sector rules, at least 90% of yearly rental earnings need to be distributed through dividends.
This FTSE 250 share isn’t suffering the same demand issues as Unite. As its name suggests, it rents out properties to leading supermarkets where vacancy and rent collection remains stable over time. It lets out roughly 130 stores in total to the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. And its operations span the UK and France, providing added diversification that helps spread risk.
The downside is that rising interest rates could put rental profits under pressure. But while this could impact Supermarket Income’s share price, I’m not expecting this to impact dividends in the near term. With a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 0.9, I believe it’s a cheap dividend share to consider.
Should you invest £5,000 in Supermarket Income REIT Plc right now?
When investing expert Mark Rogers and his team have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Twelfth Magpie Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.
And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Supermarket Income REIT Plc made the list?
Royston Wild does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.
