
Picture supply: Getty Photos
The FTSE‘s residence to a few of the finest dividend-paying firms on the earth. Excessive yields could be extremely interesting, particularly throughout unsure market situations. However as each seasoned investor is aware of, not all yields are created equal.
Typically a double-digit return is usually a signal of bother forward fairly than alternative.
That’s why I’ve been trying intently at two FTSE shares with yields north of 10%. Each look enticing on paper, however I’m not satisfied now’s the time to purchase.
Energean
Energean‘s (LSE: ENOG) a London-listed oil and gasoline producer with operations throughout the Mediterranean and comes with a market-cap of round £1.64bn. The share worth sits at roughly 890p, and the corporate’s dividend yield of 10.2% seems to be excellent.
Profitability’s stable too – it boasts a return on fairness (ROE) of 17.2% and a 7.5% web margin.
Over the previous 5 years, Energean’s shares have risen 72.5%, an honest return contemplating how unstable the vitality sector’s been. And with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of simply 10.2, it might even be described as a price play inside the FTSE 250.
Nonetheless, the one main concern that provides me pause is its £2.56bn debt load. That’s roughly 5 and a half instances its complete fairness. The agency’s fast ratio – a measure of short-term liquidity – sits at simply 0.47, suggesting restricted money readily available to satisfy obligations.
Whereas money movement from operations stays wholesome for now, any downturn in vitality costs might pressure the enterprise’s potential to service its debt, not to mention preserve such a beneficiant dividend.
That’s a threat I’d fairly not take. For earnings traders, the yield may look mouthwatering, however I believe it’s value analysing how sustainable it truly is.
Foresight Photo voltaic Fund Restricted
The second FTSE share that caught my consideration is Foresight Photo voltaic Fund (LSE: FSFL), which owns and operates photo voltaic vitality property throughout the UK and Europe. With a market-cap of £430m and a share worth of 78p, it’s a a lot smaller participant than Energean – however its 10.3% yield has definitely grabbed the market’s consideration.
Foresight’s financials look robust at first look. The stability sheet‘s clear, with no debt and a fast ratio of three.42. It’s additionally been rising dividends for eight straight years, which provides a contact of reliability. Income rose 8.84% 12 months on 12 months in its newest outcomes, displaying respectable operational efficiency regardless of business pressures.
Nonetheless, the dividend protection is a significant concern. The corporate’s money dividend protection ratio stands at simply 0.53 – effectively under the consolation stage of two or increased. In the meantime, its earnings per share (EPS) of 1p doesn’t come near protecting its 8p dividend per share. In easy phrases, it’s paying out way over it earns, which is never sustainable for lengthy.
Until earnings rebound, the fund may need to trim its dividend. That might doubtless ship income-focused traders working for the exits.
Remaining ideas
Each Energean and Foresight Photo voltaic Fund have enticing enterprise fashions and function in important sectors. But the mixture of excessive yields, fragile protection and sector-specific challenges makes me cautious.
These dividends may not be sustainable underneath present situations. If cuts come, the share costs might tumble additional. For now, I’ll preserve each on my watchlist – however till their earnings and money movement enhance, I believe there are safer FTSE shares to contemplate for dependable passive earnings.

Picture supply: Getty Photos
The FTSE‘s residence to a few of the finest dividend-paying firms on the earth. Excessive yields could be extremely interesting, particularly throughout unsure market situations. However as each seasoned investor is aware of, not all yields are created equal.
Typically a double-digit return is usually a signal of bother forward fairly than alternative.
That’s why I’ve been trying intently at two FTSE shares with yields north of 10%. Each look enticing on paper, however I’m not satisfied now’s the time to purchase.
Energean
Energean‘s (LSE: ENOG) a London-listed oil and gasoline producer with operations throughout the Mediterranean and comes with a market-cap of round £1.64bn. The share worth sits at roughly 890p, and the corporate’s dividend yield of 10.2% seems to be excellent.
Profitability’s stable too – it boasts a return on fairness (ROE) of 17.2% and a 7.5% web margin.
Over the previous 5 years, Energean’s shares have risen 72.5%, an honest return contemplating how unstable the vitality sector’s been. And with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of simply 10.2, it might even be described as a price play inside the FTSE 250.
Nonetheless, the one main concern that provides me pause is its £2.56bn debt load. That’s roughly 5 and a half instances its complete fairness. The agency’s fast ratio – a measure of short-term liquidity – sits at simply 0.47, suggesting restricted money readily available to satisfy obligations.
Whereas money movement from operations stays wholesome for now, any downturn in vitality costs might pressure the enterprise’s potential to service its debt, not to mention preserve such a beneficiant dividend.
That’s a threat I’d fairly not take. For earnings traders, the yield may look mouthwatering, however I believe it’s value analysing how sustainable it truly is.
Foresight Photo voltaic Fund Restricted
The second FTSE share that caught my consideration is Foresight Photo voltaic Fund (LSE: FSFL), which owns and operates photo voltaic vitality property throughout the UK and Europe. With a market-cap of £430m and a share worth of 78p, it’s a a lot smaller participant than Energean – however its 10.3% yield has definitely grabbed the market’s consideration.
Foresight’s financials look robust at first look. The stability sheet‘s clear, with no debt and a fast ratio of three.42. It’s additionally been rising dividends for eight straight years, which provides a contact of reliability. Income rose 8.84% 12 months on 12 months in its newest outcomes, displaying respectable operational efficiency regardless of business pressures.
Nonetheless, the dividend protection is a significant concern. The corporate’s money dividend protection ratio stands at simply 0.53 – effectively under the consolation stage of two or increased. In the meantime, its earnings per share (EPS) of 1p doesn’t come near protecting its 8p dividend per share. In easy phrases, it’s paying out way over it earns, which is never sustainable for lengthy.
Until earnings rebound, the fund may need to trim its dividend. That might doubtless ship income-focused traders working for the exits.
Remaining ideas
Each Energean and Foresight Photo voltaic Fund have enticing enterprise fashions and function in important sectors. But the mixture of excessive yields, fragile protection and sector-specific challenges makes me cautious.
These dividends may not be sustainable underneath present situations. If cuts come, the share costs might tumble additional. For now, I’ll preserve each on my watchlist – however till their earnings and money movement enhance, I believe there are safer FTSE shares to contemplate for dependable passive earnings.



















