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.

This could be a once-in-decade opportunity to earn a second income by investing!

Markets have been rising in recent weeks, however dividend yields across certain sectors remain attractive, which could be good for a second income.

| More on:
Close-up of a woman holding modern polymer ten, twenty and fifty pound notes.

Image source: Getty Images

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.

For many of us, a second income is the holy grail of investing. Whether we’re looking for a second income this year, or in 20 years, it’s a goal worth working towards.

So why do I think now could be a once-in-a-decade opportunity to earn a second income? Well, despite rising share prices, dividend yields in some sectors are very strong.

XXX

And of course, dividend yields and share prices are inversely correlated. When share prices rise, dividend yields go up. So here are two stocks with great, possibly peaking, dividend yields.

Phoenix Group

Phoenix Group (LSE:PHNX) is a favourite of mine, offering a 10.2% dividend yield at the current price. The lower share price and elevated dividend yield partially reflect the fact that capital has moved towards cash savings and debt as interest rates have pushed up.

As such, with interest rates due to start falling, we will likely see capital move back towards dividend-paying stocks like Phoenix Group over the next year. Resultantly, the mega dividend yield on offer today probably won’t be available for long.

Insurers are often good dividend payers because they operate in a mature market and they have strong cash flows. Think about it, with all of us paying our insurance premiums on a monthly or annual basis, these companies are rarely short of cash.

Inflation has been a major challenge for the insurance industry with claims inflation eating into margins. And we’re not out of the woods here. This, coupled with Phoenix Group’s higher leverage ratio versus its peers, represents something of a risk.

Nonetheless, I still believe now could be a great time to look at Phoenix Group — I’m considering buying more although capital is currently limited. It’s a dividend king with a strong track record of increasing its dividend payments.

        

Nordic American Tankers

Nordic American Tanker (NYSE:NAT) currently offers a 11.2% dividend yield, but analysts think that could rise to to around 15.5% this year with the dividend payment potentially hitting ¢65 per share.

As the name suggests, it’s a tanker company. And this is a sector experiencing a significant upturn in fortunes following the pandemic.

There are several reasons why we might be at the start of a multi-year supercycle, and one of those is a dearth of new tanker orders made during the pandemic. These are Goliaths of the ocean and contsruction can take up to five years.

As such, there’s a lack of good quality supply in the tanker market. This has been made more acute by the Panama Canal drought and attacks by Houthi forces on ships sailing through the Bab el Mandeb.

Both these events have meant that vessels, either due to re-routing or being stuck in huge queues, are taking longer to reach their destinations. In other words, there’s even less supply on the market. And less supply means tanker companies can charge more, way more. Day rates are up as much as five times versus historic averages.

The only issue is that Nordic American doesn’t have the newest fleet, and this means it can miss out on the super prime contracts with like Exxon and Shell. But I think it’s worth doing further research on the stock.

        

James Fox has positions in Phoenix Group Holdings plc and Nordic American Tankers Limited. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. 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 »