Since the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut interest rates again last week to another record low of just 0.1%, the importance of owning dividend shares for income purposes has only increased. With rates at such low levels, there are simply no real 'safe' alternatives anymore to a dividend if you want meaningful cash flow from your investments.
Sure, you could try a Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) term deposit, but those are now going for, at most, 0.6% per annum these days. But there are some ASX dividend shares out there today that run miles around those kinds of numbers. Here are 2 such shares, both offering fully franked dividend yields of more than 5% today.
3 ASX dividend shares with a yield over 5% today
JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH)
You might know JB from its large yellow store banners, but this electronics and white goods retailer offers far more than that to shareholders today. JB has long moved away from its traditional product range of hi-fi equipment, DVDs, CDs and records. Today, it sells everything from televisions, phones and computers to fridges, microwave ovens and washing machines. And it's quite good at it too, if the company's performance numbers are anything to go by. In it's FY2020 annual report, JB told investors that sales were up more than 11% from FY19's numbers (including 56.6% growth in online sales) and that profits were up by more than 42%.
Those profits flowed through to a 76.5% increase in the company's final dividend to 90 cents a share. Since JB Hi-Fi is currently trading around $45.97 a share, that gives JB shares a trailing dividend yield of 4.11%, or 5.87% grossed-up with full franking.
Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)
Magellan is not often regarded as a top ASX dividend share. It's instead more well-known for its fast-growing funds management business. Magellan runs a wide portfolio of managed funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and Listed Investment Trusts (LITs). Some of the more popular options are the unlisted Magellan Global Fund and the Magellan High Conviction Fund, as well as the listed Magellan Global Trust (ASX: MGG). As of 30 October, Magellan has more than $103 billion in assets under management.
However, Magellan also pays a decent dividend, which has been increasing rapidly over the past few years. In 2020, the company has paid out $2.15 in dividends per share, which gives the Magellan share price a trailing dividend yield of 3.53% on current prices, or 5.04% grossed-up with the company's full franking.
