Do you have room in your income portfolio for some new additions. If you do, here are a couple that analysts think could be quality picks for investors this month.
Let's see what they are recommending in February:
Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE)
The team at Bell Potter thinks that Eagers Automotive could be an ASX 200 dividend share to buy now.
The broker has the automotive retailer on its Australian equities panel, which is home to the shares that it believes offer attractive risk-adjusted returns over the long term.
The broker highlights its belief that Eagers Automotive is well-placed for revenue growth and margin expansion. It said:
APE should continue to grow revenue via a mix of inorganic and organic growth. The company is also looking to drive margin expansion by buying existing dealership properties (to reduce rent), increasing penetration in finance and insurance (F&I) (higher margin) and through productivity initiatives (technology).
Together, management are expecting ~200bps of margin improvement from these initiatives, which would be extremely material (pre-COVID margins of 2.9%). The company is also in a strong financial position with core net debt of around $495m and a property portfolio worth around $727m as at 30 June 2024.
As for income, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividend yields of 5.1% in FY 2024 and then 5.6% in FY 2025.
Bell Potter has a buy rating and $13.00 price target on its shares.
Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)
Another ASX 200 dividend share that analysts are tipping as buys is Santos. It is one of the largest energy producers in the Asia-Pacific region.
The team at Ord Minnett is bullish on the company due to its favourable free cash flow (FCF) outlook. It notes that this is being underpinned by the Pikka and Barossa LNG operations. The broker recently said:
An estimated FCF yield of 20% once Pikka and Barossa LNG start producing, and rigorous control of how that extra cash is spent, implies to us that Santos will have plenty of room to return excess capital to shareholders either via an increased payout ratio or share buybacks. In our view, the medium-term prospects for Santos offer a compelling investment opportunity.
Ord Minnett expects this to underpin attractive dividend yields of approximately 5.8% in FY 2024 and 6.2% in FY 2025.
The broker also sees plenty of upside for investors. It has a buy rating and $8.40 price target on the company's shares.
