Are Telstra shares a good buy for passive income?

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares closed 0.41% lower on Tuesday afternoon, at $4.89 a piece. After the decline, the shares are now sitting up 0.41% for the year-to-date and have jumped 23.48% over the past year.

What about passive income from Telstra shares?

The telecommunications provider is a fantastic defensive stock. Internet access and mobile phone connectivity are no longer a perk but necessary for everyday life. 

That means that Telstra shares tend to perform steadily, regardless of what stage of the economic cycle we're in. And this is great news for investors who want to hedge against potential volatility elsewhere in the index.

The ASX 200 telco offers a reliable income stream to investors too. In fact, one of the best things about Telstra is that its dividend payout ratio is close to 100% of its earnings. That unlocks a good dividend yield.

Telstra traditionally makes two fully-franked dividend payments to shareholders every year, payable in March and September. For FY25 the company paid investors an annual dividend of 19 cents per share. At the time of writing that translates to a dividend yield of 3.89%.

And it looks like the telco could grow its dividend payout in FY26 too. The consensus expectation among analysts on the CommSec platform is for Telstra to pay a 20-cent dividend for FY26. That would represent a year-on-year increase of 5.25%, or 1 cent per share.

For FY27 the dividend payout is expected to increase again to 21 cents per share. 

That's a decent passive income.

What do the experts think of the stock?

Analyst sentiment on Telstra shares is relatively divided. 

Telstra shares were thrust into the spotlight in late-2025 after the telco giant hit headlines about concerns around its calling reliability. A Senate inquiry is reportedly examining cases where Triple Zero calls may have failed, including situations linked to older devices and network/handset software interactions. 

It looks like this, alongside an overall contraction of the telco market since around the same time, have softened investor confidence about the outlook of the company and its shares. 

TradingView data shows 7 out of 12 analysts have a hold rating on Telstra shares, with an average target price of $4.98. This is just 1.86% above the current trading price at the time of writing. However, some are more bullish and have tipped the shares to climb another 10.43% to $5.40 in 2026.

The post Are Telstra shares a good buy for passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Motley Fool's purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool's free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson. 2026