Legal & General (LON: LGEN) is a powerhouse in pensions, asset management, and insurance, making it a favourite for income investors. With a strong balance sheet and a generous dividend yield, it aims to provide steady returns in a defensive sector.
For investors seeking reliable long-term growth, buying Legal & General shares could be a solid choice, although exposure to market downturns and regulatory changes are factors to consider. L&G is a staple FTSE 100 stock, but be wary of chasing high dividend yields.
How to buy shares in Legal & General
Open a brokerage account.Choose from our top broker picks or compare brokers in depth. Then, complete an application.
Fund your account.Add money to your account via bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
Search the platform by ticker symbol.LGEN in this case.
Choose an order type.Place a market order or limit order with your preferred number of shares or dollar amount.
Submit the order.It's that simple.
The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes. You'll need a smartphone or computer, an internet connection, your passport or driving licence and a means of payment.
Our top picks for where to buy Legal & General shares
We analysed all popular share dealing platforms in the UK using 35 data points and combined this with our expert insight from using the apps. The platforms we've selected as best for each category offer stand-out features or a unique combination of elements for a specific aspect of investing. If we show a "Promoted for" pick, it's been chosen from among our partners and is based on factors that include special features or offers, and the commission we receive. Keep in mind that our picks may not always be the best for you – it's important to compare for yourself. More details in our full methodology.
Fees calculator for buying Legal & General shares with popular apps
Both exchange rates and share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs estimated here should be considered as a guide only. They don't factor in spreads, which can be hard to pin down. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing.
These providers cover a wide range of stocks, but we can't guarantee they'll all offer this stock.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Buying shares in just one company is generally considered a riskier bet than investing in a range of investments - AKA a "diversified portfolio". Experts generally recommend holding a mix of investments in specific assets and funds. Funds are ready-made portfolios of multiple companies' shares (potentially including Legal & General), and the idea is that drops in the value of one constituent company's share price might be offset by rises in others.
Legal & General is a major part of the London stock exchange, so it's included in many global funds and investment trusts, as well as tracker-style exchange traded funds (ETFs).
The gauge below shows real-time ratings that are based on 26 popular indicators such as moving averages, for specific time periods. It's not a recommendation but is simply technical analysis that can form part of your research.
Finder might not agree with the analysis and we take no responsibility. We also give no representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this page.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Forward annual dividend yield: 8.55% of stock value
Legal & General has recently paid out dividends equivalent to 8.55% of its share value annually.
Legal & General has paid out, on average, around 721.33% of recent net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 8.55% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), shareholders could enjoy a 8.55% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Legal & General's case, that would currently equate to about 21.4 per share.
Legal & General's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.
Legal & General's dividend yield is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.
Legal & General's address is: One Coleman Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2R 5AA
Legal & General's shares were split on a 4:1 basis on 25 April 1999. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 4 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Legal & General shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 75% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Legal & General shares which in turn could have impacted Legal & General's share price.
It's as easy to sell Legal & General as it is to buy! Here's how to sell Legal & General shares that you already own.
Open your investment app. If you've got one with desktop access, you can log in online
Go to your portfolio. This should be in the main menu
Find your shares. You may be able to search your portfolio
Choose how many you'd like to sell. You'll be able to review the price and see how much you'll receive
Sell your Legal & General shares. Your investment platform will let you know when your shares are sold
Most dealing providers will let you use your debit card to top up your account and buy shares. The main ways are with a debit card, bank transfer or with Apple/Google Pay.
The easiest way to get hold of some Legal & General shares is to sign up for a share trading app and place a market order or basic order. This type of order tells the platform that you're interested, so it'll try to execute it as quickly as it can. It could take some time for the order to go through, especially if there's a lot of volatility in Legal & General shares.
If you're investing in a US stock, you'll need to complete a W8-BEN form to minimise your tax liability. Whether these are automatically handled for you depends on your broker, so it would be a good idea to check with them directly.
Legal & General financials
Revenue TTM
£12 billion
Operating margin TTM
3.27%
Gross profit TTM
£2.5 billion
Return on assets TTM
0.1%
Return on equity TTM
4.7%
Profit margin
1.6%
Book value
0.52p
Market capitalisation
£14.4 billion
EBITDA
£895 million
TTM: trailing 12 months
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio
George's expertise
George has written 240 Finder guides across topics including:
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We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
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