Global stock market dividends set to hit $1.24 trillion in 2015: Here are 5 of the best dividend payers

Worleyparsons Limited (ASX:WOR) and Insurance Australia Group (ASX:IAG) lead the way for Australian dividend stocks.

Andrew Mudie

Andrew joined the growing team of Motley Fool freelance writers in mid-2013 following years of personal development as a passionate self-taught sharemarket investor. At the time, Andrew was an engineer by trade, writer by hobby, and an investing nerd by passion who spent far too many breaks reading, writing and learning. Andrew’s first investing lesson came with his first stock selection in 2011 when takeover rumours caused a spike and subsequent plunge in the share price of Woodside and then the 21% fall in the market through mid-2011. The next four years of investing saw Andrew dabble in a vast array of strategies until settling on his favourite investment methodology, which is closely aligned with that of the Motley Fool: Fundamentals-based long-term buy-and-hold of great companies at great prices.

Published November 18, 2014 10:04 am AEDT

Global dividend payouts are set to reach another all-time high in 2015, according to the latest report from the Henderson Global Dividend Index (HGDI). The report, produced by ASX and UK-listed Henderson Group plc (ASX: HGG), predicts that global dividends will reach a new high of US$1.24 trillion in 2015, up from US$1.19 trillion in 2014, and US$1.03 trillion in 2013. Amazingly, the 2015 haul will be nearly four times the $310 billion paid out in 2009!

Australia Leading the Way

The report comments fairly specifically on the second quarter of 2014 but notes that within the Asia-Pacific, Australian dividends made up just under a quarter of the regional total and growth continues to "look better than its regional peers."

This isn't expected to change any time soon as local and international analysts continue to predict steady earnings and dividend growth from Australia's biggest and brightest companies.

Top Dividend Picks

The hunt for income over the last four years has pushed the yield of Australia's largest stocks down to lower levels, however opportunities remain available for the long-term investor.

Here are five top dividend stocks for the year ahead:

Stock	P/E	Dividend Yield (%)
Insurance Australia Group (ASX: IAG)	11.9	6.3
National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)	14.8	6.0
JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH)	12.2	5.5
Worleyparsons Limited (ASX: WOR)	12.3	6.8
Abacus Property Group (ASX: ABP)	12.5	6.5

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