What can investors expect from European dividends?

EUROPE

Will James, fund manager, European Equity Income at Standard Life Investments, explores the headwinds and tailwinds for the continent's income players.

There has been a growing interest in continental European dividends over the last few years as investors sought to diversify their income streams in a low growth environment, and even more so in the last six months on growing comfort that Europe may be passed the worst with regards to the sovereign debt crisis. There do remain some headwinds, for example, a slow economic growth profile and the uncertainty that the elections in both Italy and Germany may bring. These do not however detract from the fact that European equities offer a deep and broad opportunity set within which one can ...