Defensive shares like Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) are usually a great choice for investors who want to earn an easy and reliable passive income.
Telstra is a dominant Australian telecommunications company. It owns and operates the nation's largest mobile network and is a major fixed-line internet provider.
The business has a competitive advantage against other ASX shares. That's because connectivity (including internet and phone services) has become essential infrastructure rather than a discretionary item. This is particularly the case as households and businesses continue increasing their data usage.
Telstra's defensive nature is the key reason why it continues to be so popular with dividend investors.
It also enables the business to record a stable revenue and earnings, regardless of the what stage of the economic cycle we're in, or how the ASX is faring overall.
And this means it can pay shareholders a consistent, reliable passive income.
Take Telstra's latest first-half FY26 update, for example. Earlier this year, the telco posted that group underlying EBITDA had risen across all major business lines. Its mobile services revenue was 5.6% higher and group cash EBIT was 14% higher, for the six-month period. Underlying operating expenses were also reduced by 2.4%.
This meant the telco was able to hike its dividend by 5.25% for the first half of FY26, and pay a higher passive income to its shareholders.
But how much passive income would a $5,000 investment in Telstra actually generate?
Let's find out.
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How many Telstra shares can you get for $5,000 today?
At the time of writing, Telstra shares are trading for $5.21 a piece.
That means your $5,000 investment would buy around 959 Telstra shares.
What dividend does Telstra pay its shareholders?
The telco historically pays its shareholders two full- or partially-franked dividends every year, in March and September.
Telstra most recently paid its shareholders an interim dividend of 10.5 cents per share, 90.48% franked, in March this year.
Based on the latest forecasts, the telco is expected to pay a total dividend of 20 cents per share in FY26. It is expected to pay a higher 21 cents per share dividend in FY27.
Based on the current share price, that translates to a forward dividend yield of around 3.8% for FY26, and just over 4% for FY27.
So, what's the estimated passive income for FY26 and FY27?
Using the estimated payout figures above, we can calculate roughly how much income to expect from a $5,000 investment in Telstra shares.
If the telco pays the expected 20 cents per share in FY26, then your 959 Telstra shares would generate a total of $191.80 in passive income.
Assuming the 21 cents dividend forecast for FY27 also comes to fruition, your 959 shares would generate an estimated $201.39 in passive income for the year.
