The stock market continues to grapple with volatility amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and concerns about the sustainability of the AI boom. Given this uncertainty, investors looking for steady income can add dividend-paying stocks to their portfolios.
Tracking the recommendations of top Wall Street analysts can help investors pick the right dividend stocks, as these experts assign their ratings after an in-depth analysis of a company’s financials and ability to pay dividends consistently.
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.
Phillips 66
Downstream energy company Phillips 66 (PSX) is this week’s first dividend pick. With a quarterly dividend $1.27 per share (annualized dividend of $5.08), PSX offers a yield of 2.25%. The company recently reported solid Q2 earnings, as the Middle East conflict affected global supplies and drove up refining margins.
Following the Q2 print, TD Cowen analyst Jason Gabelman reiterated a buy rating on Phillips 66 and raised his price target to $255 from $240, reflecting higher 2026 earnings expectations and lower interest expense next year.
Gabelman highlighted the quarter-over-quarter reduction in Phillips 66’s net debt, noting management’s optimism at achieving its estimated $15.5 billion net debt target one year ahead of schedule. The 5-star analyst expects the company to end 2026 with a net debt of $14.6 billion.
“The [balance sheet] improvement could re-establish PSX as a go-to defensive refiner,” said Gabelman.
Management agreed that PSX’s payout ratio lagged year-to-date, but expects buybacks to increase in the second half. Gabelman said Phillps indicated the possibility of a larger dividend hike following an annual increase of 5% over the past two years.
Gabelman ranks No. 554 among more than 12,400 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 66% of the time, delivering an average return of 14.9%. See Phillips 66 Statistics on TipRanks.
Crescent Energy
Crescent Energy (CRGY) is an exploration and production company with activities focused in the Eagle Ford, Permian and Uinta Basins. Earlier this month, the company reported better-than-expected Q2 earnings and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share, payable on August 31. At an annualized dividend of $0.48 per share, CRGY boasts a dividend yield of about 4%.
In reaction to Q2 results, Evercore analyst Stephen Richardson reaffirmed a buy rating on Crescent Energy stock with a price target of $18. He noted continued strength in the company’s performance, with second-quarter oil production and cash flow surpassing the Street’s expectations.
“CRGY’s cash flow exceeded expectations by 10%, reinforcing its trajectory of capital efficiency,” said Richardson.
The 5-star analyst highlighted that Crescent raised its full-year oil production guidance, citing the effective integration of the Vital Energy acquisition. Specifically, Crescent tripled its synergy target from the Vital Energy deal to as much as $300 million, significantly reducing the effective purchase price. This reflects Crescent’s solid execution following the acquisition, Richardson said.
Additionally, the analyst noted that Crescent’s capital spending is and heading toward the lower end of management’s prior guidance, indicating disciplined financial controls.
Richardson ranks No. 579 among more than 12,400 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 65% of the time, delivering an average return of 12.5%. See Crescent Energy Ownership Structure on TipRanks.
Viper Energy
Finally, Viper Energy (VNOM) is effectively controlled by Diamondback Energy. Viper owns and acquires mineral and royalty interests in oil-weighted basins, mainly the Permian in West Texas. Viper recently announced its Q2 2026 results and declared a 32% hike in its base dividend, effective in the third quarter of 2026. The new base dividend indicates a 4.5% annualized yield.
Viper also removed its quarterly commitment to return at least 75% of cash available for distribution. The company believes that this move will ensure increased flexibility to make opportunistic share repurchases and pursue accretive mergers and acquisitions.
Following the Q2 results, TD Cowen analyst Aaron Bilkoski reiterated a buy rating on Viper, slightly raising his price target to $59 from $58. Bilkoski said Viper’s solid Q2 performance supports his view that the strength in oil prices and rising operator activity are driving higher production.
“Viper has delivered, and we forecast will continue to deliver, one of the highest production per share growth profiles in our royalty universe” through the end of 2027, said Bilkoski. He believes Viper deserves a premium valuation, given its above-average growth.
The 5-star analyst said that while the biggest surprise in the quarter was Viper’s revision to its shareholder return framework, he doesn’t believe that the move indicates a significant change to its underlying strategy. Under the new framework, a larger portion of excess free cash flow is expected to be allocated to share repurchases than to variable dividends, Bilkoski said.
Bilkoski ranks No. 719 among more than 12,400 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 57% of the time, delivering an average return of 12%. See Viper Energy Financials on TipRanks.
