When it comes to earning a passive income, ASX dividend shares are at the top of my list.
There are plenty of options available, too. From major Australian blue-chip companies, to defensive stocks, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and energy infrastructure or utility operators, many ASX-listed companies have a long history of paying their shareholders a regular and reliable dividend payment.
Here are two ASX dividend shares I'd buy right now, both of which I believe are positioned to pay attractive passive income for years.
Image source: Getty Images
Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)
Origin is an ASX dividend share favourite of mine.
The leading ASX energy company provides Australian homes and businesses with electricity, natural gas, solar and LPG.
Given energy is an essential service, the stock is classically defensive. This means its shares are generally resilient to sharemarket volatility, global uncertainty and fluctuating sentiment. After all, people won't stop powering their homes and businesses because the purse strings have tightened.
Origin's assets operate under long-term contracts, often with rising income, which gives it another defensive quality.
Its defensive nature makes the company's shares a great option for passive income, as they can generate substantial cash flows even when energy prices are elevated.
And this directly benefits its shareholders.
Origin has historically paid its shareholders every six months, consisting of an interim dividend in March and a final dividend in September.
In the first half of FY26, Origin Energy paid its investors 30 cents per share, fully franked.
Brokers forecast that the energy business will increase its annual payout to 61 cents in FY26, translating to a forward yield of around 5.05%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.
Betashares Australian Dividend Harvester Fund (ASX: HVST)
The Betshares HVST is another ASX dividend share to consider. HVST is an ASX-listed exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in 40 to 60 dividend-paying companies. These are selected from the top 100 largest ASX-listed companies based on their dividend forecasts, franking credits, and expected future gross dividend payments.
The ETF does not track an index; instead, it targets exposure to high-dividend stocks.
The fund is structured to own a dividend-paying share until it trades ex-dividend. At this point, the fund sells the shares and reinvests the proceeds into its next opportunity.
YMAX is mostly weighted into the financial sector, which accounts for 26.9% of its allocation at the time of writing. The materials sector is second, accounting for 10.1% of its allocation.
The fund also invests into diversified metals & mining, consumer discretionary, energy, industrials, real estate, communications, and healthcare sectors.
HVST ETF pays investors a regular, franked dividend income that is significantly higher than the annual income yield of the broader ASX.
As of the 31st of July, its 12-month gross distribution (dividend) yield is 7.1%, and the net yield is 5.6%. The franking level is 63.3%. The fund's annual management fee and costs are 0.72%.
The fund paid out $0.06 per share to investors earlier this month. In fact, the fund has paid around $0.06 per share each month since January 2024.
