Have £1,000 to invest? I’d buy these two dirt-cheap FTSE 250 dividend stocks

These two undervalued FTSE 250 (LON:INDEXFTSE: MCX) income stocks could be the perfect investments if you have just £1,000, says this Fool.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

If you’ve £1,000 to invest and want to put your money to work in one of the market’s most attractive dividend stocks, then I highly recommend taking a closer look at Redrow (LSE: RDW). The homebuilder’s growth has exploded over the past five years, capitalising on the UK’s under-supplied housing market and the government’s Help To Buy programme. 

Earnings per share have grown at a compound annual rate of 42% since 2013, and it doesn’t look as if this trend is going to come to an end anytime soon. In Redrow’s results for the financial year to the end of June, it revealed a 13% year-on-year increase in completions and 10% increase in revenues. Earnings per share increased 8%, and cash generated from operations hit £124m, up from 2018’s £63m.

Commenting on the firm’s trading performance since the end of the reporting period, CEO John Tutte said: “Since the start of the new financial year, trading has been encouraging, and the demand for our homes is strong with reservations running ahead of last year.

Should you invest £1,000 in Royal Mail Group right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool 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 Royal Mail Group made the list?

See the 6 stocks

So, it looks as if fiscal 2020 is going to be another year of growth for the group as well. 

Cheap income

Based on the numbers in today’s earnings release, the stock is currently trading at a historical P/E of 6.1. Assuming Redrow’s earnings will grow further in fiscal 2020, we can assume this ratio applies for the current year too. On top of this, the firm announced an additional 20.5p per share dividend this year, taking the full-year cash return to 60.5p, a dividend yield of 9.4% on the current share price. 

I think it’s unlikely investors will see the same kind of cash return in fiscal 2020, but analysts have pencilled in a regular dividend yield of 7.6%. This level of income, coupled with Redow’s discount valuation, makes the stock too good to pass up, in my opinion. 

Cash champion

Another company that I think might also be worth your research time is PayPoint (LSE: PAY). The company, which primarily operates a payments network, helps customers convert cash into electronic payments and provides payment terminals for small shops around the UK.

This business is highly lucrative. Last year, the company reported an operating profit margin of 26% and a return on equity of 79%. There are only a handful of other stocks on the London market that reported returns higher than this. 

With its market-leading profit margins, PayPoint is highly cash generative. Last year the company generated free cash flow per share of 71p. Management is returning the bulk of this cash to investors with regular and special dividends.

City analysts believe the company will distribute 83 per share in dividends for its current financial year, which gives a dividend yield of 8.9% on the current share price. With net cash on the balance sheet of £38m, there’s plenty of capital there to support these special payouts. 

At the time of writing, shares in PayPoint are dealing at a forward P/E of 14.2. That’s not too dear, in my opinion, considering the firm’s healthy profit margins and cash generation. That’s why I think it might be worth taking a closer look at this business today.

5 Shares for the Future of Energy

Investors who don’t own energy shares need to see this now.

Because Mark Rogers — The Motley Fool UK’s Director of Investing — sees 2 key reasons why energy is set to soar.

While sanctions slam Russian supplies, nations are also racing to achieve net zero emissions, he says. Mark believes 5 companies in particular are poised for spectacular profits.

Open this new report5 Shares for the Future of Energy — and discover:

  • Britain’s Energy Fort Knox, now controlling 30% of UK energy storage
  • How to potentially get paid by the weather
  • Electric Vehicles’ secret backdoor opportunity
  • One dead simple stock for the new nuclear boom

Click the button below to find out how you can get your hands on the full report now, and as a thank you for your interest, we’ll send you one of the five picks — absolutely free!

Grab your FREE Energy recommendation now

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Rupert Hargreaves owns no share mentioned. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of PayPoint. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Redrow. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Thoughtful man using his phone while riding on a train and looking through the window
Investing Articles

My top 3 lessons from April’s stock market meltdown

Here are a trio of things I learned from the recent stock market madness. Each one should help me take…

Read more »

Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Investing Articles

Down 12% in 2 days, is this FTSE 100 growth share now an unmissable buy?

Paul Summers is tempted to bring a top growth share back into his ISA portfolio after this week's double-digit sell-off.…

Read more »

Hand of person putting wood cube block with word VALUE on wooden table
Investing Articles

Is this under-pressure FTSE 250 stock 1 for value investors to consider?

FTSE 250 company Marshalls cut its dividend after dealing with profitability challenges. Ken Hall looks into the investment case.

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

ChatGPT thinks these are the 3 best high-yield dividend stocks to buy today

High-yield dividend stocks are a great source of passive income. But what does our writer make of the AI bot's…

Read more »

Passive income text with pin graph chart on business table
Investing Articles

How much income could a £20k ISA generate in a year?

An ISA is my number one choice for building up a growing long-term income pot. And the early rewards can…

Read more »

Wall Street sign in New York City
Investing Articles

Over 40% of Bill Ackman’s FTSE 100-listed fund is in these 3 top stocks

FTSE 100 investment trust Pershing Square bought this trio of tech stocks when they were out of favour. Are they…

Read more »

The flag of the United States of America flying in front of the Capitol building
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in the S&P 500 just 6 weeks ago would now be worth…

Ben McPoland highlights one software stock from the S&P 500 index he's very interested in adding to his Stocks and…

Read more »

Black woman using smartphone at home, watching stock charts.
Investing Articles

Is May’s worst-performing FTSE 100 stock the best share to consider buying in June?

Harvey Jones was surprised to see this dividend growth stock propping up the FTSE 100 over the past month. Does…

Read more »