Global stock markets remain volatile amid uncertainty in the Middle East and the focus on artificial intelligence stocks. Investors seeking stable income can bolster their portfolio by adding dividend stocks with attractive returns.
Top Wall Street analysts can help select stocks that pay regular dividends while generating capital appreciation and increasing overall returns.
Here are three dividend stocks highlighted by Wall Street’s top pros, tracked by TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on past performance.
Viper energy
Viper energy is a subsidiary of Diamondback energy The focus is on owning and acquiring mineral and royalty interests, primarily in the Permian Basin. For the first quarter of 2026, the company declared a base dividend of 38 cents per share and a variable dividend of 30 cents per share. APPARENTLY offers a dividend yield of 5%.
Recently, RBC Capital analyst Scott Hanold initiated coverage on Viper Energy stock with a Buy rating and a $58 price target. “The company has an advantage due to its size, its core focus on the Permian, its longevity and its coordinated operating partner,” Hanold said.
In particular, the five-star analyst emphasized that Viper is a best-in-class operator due to its asset base focused on the Permian region and its significant size compared to its peers. Hanold added that VNOM’s 75% liquids-weighted production mix provides significant leverage in a strong oil price environment.
In addition, Hanold predicts Viper’s inventory life to be 15 to 20 years, considering the current development pace of its operating partners, which is significantly higher than that of competitors. Among the other advantages, the analyst highlighted VNOM’s relationship with Diamondback Energy, which holds about 39% of the company’s shares. Hanold said Viper’s relationship with Diamondback gives the company an advantage over its competitors by providing visibility into future activity and production, high-margin organic growth and stable revenue and cash flow.
Finally, Hanold highlighted Viper’s solid balance sheet. He noted that the company has an investment grade rating and a lower cost of capital, which would support sustainable distributions and strategic mergers and acquisitions. The analyst also highlighted VNOM’s attractive return on capital system.
Hanold ranks No. 152 among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His reviews were successful 67% of the time and delivered an average return of 20.2%. See Viper Energy stock buybacks on TipRanks.
Permian resources
Hanold is also bullish on the independent oil and natural gas company. Permian resources. He has a buy recommendation PR Stock with a price target of $27. Permian declared a base dividend of 16 cents per share for the second quarter of 2026. PR shares offer a dividend yield of 3.2%.
In a recent research note, Hanold updated his estimates for Permian Resources, Devon EnergyAnd Matador Resources to reflect the impact of these companies’ acquisition of undeveloped land in the Delaware Basin of New Mexico through 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 sites.
Specifically, Hanold pointed out that Permian’s $152 million spent, based on this year’s pace, represents nearly a quarter of its drilling. He added that the transaction was consistent 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 industry-leading free cash flow returns, supporting a solid shareholder return strategy.
“The Company has large, contiguous tenements in the core of the southern and northern Delaware Permian with a 12- to 15-year inventory, as well as a significant portion in the southern Midland Permian,” Hanold emphasized. See Perm resources ownership structure on TipRanks.
Chevron
Finally, let’s look at the oil and gas giant. Chevron. The company returned $6 billion in cash to shareholders in the first quarter, including $2.5 billion through share repurchases and $3.5 billion in dividends. With a quarterly dividend of $1.78 per share CVX The stock offers a dividend yield of 3.8%.
Recently, Mizuho analyst Nitin Kumar reiterated a Buy rating on Chevron with a price target of $230. The analyst raised his oil price forecasts for 2026 and 2027 as he expects the impact of the US-Iran conflict on oil prices and refining cracks to last longer than the impact on Nymex crude oil prices.
Kumar highlighted that despite a more constructive macroeconomic outlook for oil, large-cap oil exploration and production companies, US refiners and integrated oil companies are all trading below the average price-to-net asset value range of the last 15-plus years. The analyst said its ratings for the upstream and IOC segments already reflect this “value” opportunity at Chevron. ConocoPhillipsDevon, Diamondback and Occidental Petroleum Shares.
Meanwhile, the five-star analyst noted that the big debate surrounding Chevron centers on inventory depth and whether the company can sustain upstream volumes over the long term without sacrificing capital efficiency. In this context, Kumar emphasized that management has shifted its focus from growth spending to maximizing free cash flow.
Additionally, Kumar believes 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 maintain plateau production of more than 1 million boe/d from the basin through the end of the next decade. Kumar listed the Hess acquisition, which adds a high-quality deepwater asset, recent investments in lithium and energy companies and “a strong track record of delivering cash returns for shareholders,” among others.
Kumar is ranked #1,098 among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. Its ratings were profitable 60% of the time and delivered an average return of 7.2%. See Chevron Financials on TipRanks.