Buy Hold Sell: 6 sustainable dividend stocks

Dividend sustainability has become front-of-mind for investors as Australian companies grapple with the short-term hit to earnings and payouts as a result of COVID-19 and a host of long-term issues such as competition and structural changes in consumer behaviour.

In this episode, Jessica Amir of Bell Direct sits down with Neil Margolis of Merlon Capital and Michael O'Neill from Investors Mutual to discuss six income candidates and whether they can be trusted for sustainable dividends.

They include 1) Fortescue Metals Group - Which is facing questions around how long elevated iron ore prices can last; 2) Telstra - Whose current dividend is under doubt due to earnings and margin pressures; 3) Medibank Private - A business swimming in cash but contending structural issues impacting insurance affordability; and 4) AMP - A company that's been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Neil and Michael also each bring their one top stock idea for sustainable dividends, trading at an attractive valuation right now.

Visit Livewire Markets for the edited transcript and video for this episode, plus more great content.

Note: This interview was recorded on 23 September 2020.