We have some exciting news to share! The Motley Fool UK has now become The Twelfth Magpie -- an independent, UK-owned company, led by our long-serving UK management team — Mark Rogers, Chris Nials and Heather Adlington. In practical terms, it’s the same team you know, now fully focused on serving our UK readers and members.

Just as importantly, our approach remains unchanged: long-term, jargon-free, and on your side. This site is our new home, and there will be extra tweaks made across the coming few days as we settle in. So if anything looks a little off, please bear with us!

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.

These could be the best FTSE 100 shares to invest in

I’m looking for high dividend yields at a reasonable valuation and these fantastic FTSE 100 shares might just fit the bill.

| More on:

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.

These FTSE 100 shares all have dividend yields in excess of 5%, relatively low P/E ratios and have at least 5% dividend growth. So, they combine a good dividend with value, which in turn might make them very good investments for me.

Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) is a well-known mining company. It’s is a major iron ore miner, so from that respect is tied to steel production and in turn, to some extent, Chinese economic growth. But it is also more than an iron ore miner.

XXX

It digs for copper, aluminium, silver, gold, bauxite and diamonds too. At the end of last year, on 21 December, the miner announced it had entered into a binding agreement to acquire the Rincon lithium project for $825m. It says Rincon is one of the largest undeveloped lithium brine projects in the world. This should position it well for expanding electric vehicle manufacturing.

The challenge is for Rio Tinto to keep producing when the prices of commodities fall. It also has to watch for ESG issues, especially on the environmental front (that’s the ‘E’ in ESG). 

Overall with a P/E of 10 and a dividend yield of 9%, there’s a lot I like about this FTSE 100 share.

Two good value FTSE 100 stocks that provide income

Housebuilder Persimmon (LSE: PSN) and insurer Admiral (LSE: ADM) are two other FTSE 100 shares I think could reward me long term. The former has a dividend yield of 10% and a P/E of 11, while Admiral has a dividend yield of 5% and a P/E of 18.

While Persimmon’s business could be hurt by higher interest rates, for now, house prices keep rising. That said, demand may weaken as support schemes like Help to Buy end. But if higher interest rates do dent the housing market, the government may step in to help first-time buyers again in future.

Persimmon is a high-margin, high-return-on-capital business, it has a 24% operating margin and a return on capital employed (ROCE) of 25%. If one looks at Barratt Developments for comparison, it’s 18% and 13%, respectively. That’s quite a difference. I think it comes down to Persimmon’s focus on family homes outside the capital and its better supply chain – for example, it owns its own a timber frame, wall panel and roof cassette manufacturing facility and has built its own brickworks and tileworks facilities. It may also just buy land for future development at better prices.

The third of my FTSE 100 shares

Lastly, just a quick word on Admiral. It’s a steady business. Insurance is needed even when inflation is high so it should do ok whatever the economic backdrop is. On top of that, Admiral has a good brand. But insurance is also a competitive industry where the main differentiator is price. That makes it hard to raise prices. The industry also has to adapt to new rules on not offering cheaper prices to new customers over loyal ones. 

When I look at the fundamentals, Rio Tinto, Persimmon and Admiral are up there among the very best FTSE 100 companies to invest in right now. Rio Tinto and Admiral — as an extra bonus — should also do fairly well in this inflationary environment. 

I’d buy all three for my portfolio.

Andy Ross owns shares in Persimmon. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Admiral Group. 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

Friends and sisters exploring the outdoors together in Cornwall. They are standing with their arms around each other at the coast.
Investing Articles

£503 buys 14 shares in this FTSE 250 stock that returned 23.9% annually for the last 15 years

This FTSE 250 stock has averaged a huge return for 15 years. At today's price, £503 buys 14 shares. But…

Read more »

Black woman using loudspeaker to be heard
Investing Articles

£1,000 buys 25 shares in this FTSE 100 stock that’s returned 29.2% annually for the last 10 years

This FTSE 100 mining stock has returned close to 30% a year for a decade. At 3,995p, £1,000 buys 25…

Read more »

Female student sitting at the steps and using laptop
Investing Articles

Down 47%, is this growth stock finally worth buying in May?

With a £288m order book and a hidden pipeline of defence and nuclear contracts, is this growth stock now too…

Read more »

House models and one with REIT - standing for real estate investment trust - written on it.
Investing Articles

2 REITs yielding 7%+ to consider for passive income in 2026

A REIT backed by the NHS and another backed by Tesco and Sainsbury's with both yielding 7%+. Here's why I'm…

Read more »

Woman riding her old fashioned bicycle along the Beach Esplanade at Aberdeen, Scotland.
Investing Articles

Just 97 shares of this UK dividend stock generate £238 in passive income

A 5.7% yield, £238 in passive income from just 97 shares, and one of the most divisive dividend stocks on…

Read more »

ISA coins
Investing Articles

£10,000 in an ISA generates a second income of…

The London Stock Exchange is home to some of the world's most generous dividends. But how big a second income…

Read more »

Shot of a senior man drinking coffee and looking thoughtfully out of a window
Investing Articles

Expert recommendations: 2 top income stocks yielding 7%+!

With yields of 7.2% and 7.8% respectively, these two income stocks are catching the eyes of institutional analysts. Should investors…

Read more »

Illustration of flames over a black background
Investing Articles

3 top income-focused stocks to buy in May 2026, according to experts

Looking for a stock to buy for income in May 2026? Experts have flagged these three UK dividend shares as…

Read more »