The new year has started with many investors looking more favourably on UK equities, and with a strong rebound for many of the traditional income sectors such as banks, mining and oil.
But the reliance of UK income funds on a relatively small number of large dividend payers is a story which hasn’t gone away.
The global dividend picture is more nuanced, with markets such as the US renowned for the strength of its companies in sectors such as technology, which are not known for being significant dividend payers, while the European market has been in as many doldrums as the UK in recent years.
With the UK market in vogue, returns may be better in the year ahead, but does that mean its time to increase exposure to the home market if you are an income investor?
david.thorpe@ft.com
