Owning dividend shares is a great way of unlocking passive income. Once invested, it’s possible to earn a steady income stream without having to do a thing.

One high-yielding stock is MONY Group (LSE:MONY). Could the owner of the MoneySuperMarket and MoneySavingExpert brands be worth considering for a portfolio today? Let’s investigate.

A strong track record

As the table below shows, the stock has consistently offered an above-average return in recent years.

However, a disappointing share price performance means the group’s now (3 October) offering a yield in excess of 7%. What lies behind this apparent loss of investor confidence in the owner of five price comparison websites?

Uncertain times

In my opinion, there are two areas of concern.

Firstly, there’s the threat of AI disruption. Fears have been expressed that large language models will make it easier for consumers to shop around for better deals using conversational apps rather than traditional websites.

Secondly, revenue has been relatively flat over the past three years:

• 2023: £432.1m
• 2024: £439.2m
• 2025: £446.3m

Analysts are predicting another modest (around 1%) increase for 2026. The group’s biggest market is insurance — accounting for 52.2% of revenue in 2025 — where premiums, particularly in the motor market, have fallen since the pandemic.

It’s also difficult to know how to value the group. Is it an innovative tech platform, or a ‘boring’ utility-like business that has a steady and reliable cash flow but promises little growth? To be honest, I view it more as the latter which is why the stock’s dividend is of most interest to me.

A rising yield?

Here, analysts are forecasting the following payouts over the next three years:

• 2026: 13.24p
• 2027: 13.63p
• 2028: 14.25p

Based on the group’s current share price, this implies a forward yield of 7.44%-8.01%. In other words, a £10,000 investment could earn dividends of at least £744 a year.

Of course, payouts are never guaranteed because they’re a distribution of earnings. If the group’s bottom line takes a battering then it’s likely that its dividend will be cut. Indeed, there’s little room for manoeuvre given that the group’s returned over 80% of its annual adjusted earnings per share to shareholders over the past five years:

• 2021: 82.35%
• 2022: 88.19%
• 2023: 84.38%
• 2024: 87.72%
• 2025: 85.47%

My view

MONY Group’s the sort of stock that could do well if consumer incomes are further squeezed. From 2021-2025, the group claims to have saved consumers almost £12bn from their household bills. I think this is a powerful marketing message.

Significantly, it’s developed its own ChatGPT-based app to combat the threat of AI. And thanks to some aggressive cost-cutting, the group’s also managed to grow its bottom line. Over the past five years, it’s increased adjusted earnings per share by 50% despite its revenue rising by ‘only’ 40%.

As well as this, I think it’s important not to underestimate the power of its brands. For example, MoneySavingExpert has been voted the most recommended price comparison site in the UK. Also, having gathered a huge amount of information about its customers in recent years, this is likely to become a valuable asset in an increasingly data-driven world.

In my opinion, MONY Group is a stock to consider. Although, it isn’t the only growth opportunity that’s caught my attention…

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James Beard owns shares in MONY Group plc.