Global stock markets remain volatile amid uncertainty in the Middle East and a focus on artificial intelligence stocks. Investors seeking steady income can bolster their portfolios by adding dividend stocks with attractive yields.
Top Wall Street analysts can help pick stocks that pay regular dividends while having the ability to generate capital appreciation and boost total returns.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks that are highlighted by Wall Street’s top pros, as tracked by TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.
Viper Energy
Viper Energy is a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy and is focused on owning and acquiring mineral and royalty interests, primarily in the Permian Basin. For Q1 2026, the company declared a base dividend of 38 cents per share and a variable dividend of 30 cents per share. VNOM offers a dividend yield of 5%.
Recently, RBC Capital analyst Scott Hanold initiated coverage of Viper Energy stock with a buy rating and a price target of $58. “The company is advantaged given its scale, core Permian focus, inventory duration, and aligned operating partner,” said Hanold.
Specifically, the five-star analyst highlighted that Viper’s Permian-focused asset base and significant scale relative to peers position it as a best-in-class operator. Hanold added that VNOM’s 75% liquids-weighted production mix offers meaningful leverage in a strong oil price environment.
Additionally, Hanold projects Viper’s inventory life at 15 to 20 years, considering the current development pace of its operating partners, which is significantly higher than that of peers. Among the other advantages, the analyst highlighted VNOM’s relationship with Diamondback Energy, which has about a 39% ownership in the company. Hanold said Viper’s relationship with Diamondback gives it an edge over its peers, given that it provides visibility into forward activity and production, high-margin organic growth, and steady revenue and cash flows.
Finally, Hanold highlighted Viper’s solid balance sheet. He noted that the company is investment-grade rated and has a lower cost of capital, which would support sustainable distributions and strategic mergers and acquisitions. The analyst also emphasized VNOM’s attractive capital returns framework.
Hanold ranks No. 152 among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 67% of the time, delivering an average return of 20.2%. See Viper Energy Stock Buybacks on TipRanks.
Permian Resources
Hanold is also bullish on independent oil and natural gas company, Permian Resources. He has a buy rating on PR stock with a price target of $27. Permian announced a base dividend of 16 cents per share for the second quarter of 2026. PR stock offers a dividend yield of 3.2%.
In a recent research note, Hanold updated his estimates for Permian Resources, Devon Energy, and Matador Resources to reflect the impact of the acquisition of undeveloped acres in the New Mexico Delaware Basin by these companies under the federal lease sale. While Devon and Matador spent $2.6 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively, Permian spent $152 million on 6,634 acres and added 50-60 net locations.
Specifically, Hanold noted that $152 million spent by Permian equates to almost one quarter of drilling, based on this year’s pace. He added that the transaction aligns with Permian Resources’ quarterly acquisition activity and was funded with available cash.
The analyst expects PR stock to outperform its peer group over the next 12 months. He expects Permian Resources to generate peer-leading free cash flow yields, supporting a solid shareholder-return strategy.
“The company has large, contiguous acreage positions in the core of the southern and northern Delaware Permian with a 12-15 year inventory alongside a sizable position in the southern Midland Permian,” highlighted Hanold. See Permian Resources Ownership Structure on TipRanks.
Chevron
Finally, let’s look at oil and gas giant, Chevron. The company returned $6 billion of cash to shareholders in the first quarter, including $2.5 billion via share repurchases and $3.5 billion in dividends. At a quarterly dividend of $1.78 per share, CVX stock offers a dividend yield of 3.8%.
Recently, Mizuho analyst Nitin Kumar reaffirmed a buy rating on Chevron with a price target of $230. The analyst raised his 2026 and 2027 oil price projections, as he expects the impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict on oil prices and refining cracks to persist longer than its effect on Nymex crude prices.
Kumar highlighted that, despite a more constructive macro outlook on oil, large-cap oil-focused exploration and production companies, U.S. refiners, and integrated oil companies are all trading below the average price-to-net-asset-value range from the past 15-plus years. The analyst said that his ratings for the upstream and IOC segments already reflect this “value” opportunity in Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Devon, Diamondback and Occidental Petroleum stocks.
Meanwhile, the five-star analyst noted that the major debate surrounding Chevron centers on inventory depth and whether the company can sustain upstream volumes over the long term without sacrificing capital efficiencies. In this regard, Kumar highlighted that management has shifted its focus away from growth spending toward maximizing free cash flow.
Also, Kumar thinks that improved well productivity in the Permian Basin, including the use of surfactants, has alleviated some investor concerns and increased confidence in CVX’s plan to sustain plateau production of more than 1 mmboe/d from the basin through the end of the next decade. Among other positives, Kumar listed the Hess acquisition, which adds a top-quality deepwater asset, recent investments in lithium and power businesses, and “a strong track record of delivering cash returns for shareholders.”
Kumar ranks No. 1,098 among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 60% of the time, delivering an average return of 7.2%. See Chevron Financials on TipRanks.
-1024x768.jpg "Red Snapper Used as Cudgel by Fed Judge")
