Investors are still trying to manage the ups and downs of the stock market, especially with ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Given this uncertainty, those in search of steady passive income might consider adding shares from well-established dividend-paying companies to their portfolios.
Insights from top analysts on Wall Street can guide investors in selecting solid dividend stocks. After all, these expert opinions are usually grounded in thorough analysis of a company’s financial health and future growth potential.
Here are three high-dividend stocks that are garnering attention from leading Wall Street analysts, as observed on TipRanks, which evaluates analysts based on their past performance.
ConocoPhillips
The first stock on this week’s list is ConocoPhillips, an oil and gas exploration and production company. They are set to announce their first-quarter results on Thursday. For 2026’s first quarter, COP plans to distribute a dividend of 84 cents per share, giving it a yield of 2.64%.
Jefferies analyst Lloyd Byrne reaffirmed his buy rating and also upgraded ConocoPhillips in his earnings preview. He raised the target price to $160 from $129, expecting the company to surpass expectations in the first quarter, largely due to a rise in crude oil production.
Byrne pointed out that his earnings per share estimate of $1.89 for the first quarter exceeds the current consensus of $1.70, which he believes will be adjusted to around $1.80. He cautioned, however, that natural gas prices in the lower 48 region could be a challenge, noting a discount of about 6 cents compared to typical prices.
Byrne thinks ConocoPhillips is well-positioned to navigate the volatility tied to the U.S.-Iranian conflict, pointing out that roughly 57% of the company’s production is linked to crude oil and the Title Transfer Facility Index, Europe’s benchmark for natural gas prices.
“With a Brent price around $90 and TTF at $16 for ’26, we expect COP to achieve a favorable free cash flow, significantly higher than in the past,” Byrne highlighted. Analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will execute a stock buyback worth $8.5 billion in 2026, all while enhancing its balance sheet by $3 billion. He mentioned that the expected increase in free cash flow is among the highest in the sector.
Byrne holds a rank of #225 among over 12,200 analysts on TipRanks, maintaining a 61% success rate on his evaluations, yielding an average return of 20.9%.
Viper Energy
Next up is Viper Energy, a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, which focuses on owning and acquiring mineral and royalty interests mainly in the Permian Basin. In February 2026, the firm announced a 15% hike in its annual base dividend to $1.52 per share, leading to a total dividend yield of 4.6% when accounting for both basic and variable dividends over the past year.
Roth Capital analyst Leo Mariani reiterated his buy rating on Viper Energy shares and raised his price target by 4% to $50, due to expected increases in cash flow from commodity price hikes. His optimistic outlook is supported by Viper’s notable organic growth rate among peers, coupled with consistent dividends and robust free cash flow despite lower oil prices.
The five-star analyst expects Viper’s first-quarter results to show oil production exceeding consensus estimates by 0.8% and hitting the upper limits of company guidance, which ranges from 62,500 to 64,500 barrels per day. He also anticipates that total production will surpass projections by 0.4%.
While he expects solid oil price realizations, Mariani predicts declines in gas and NGL prices, as Diamondback Energy has already indicated price reductions. Still, he believes Viper will outperform Diamondback in these areas.
Regarding shareholder returns, he estimates a cash dividend of 60 cents per share alongside a $90 million share buyback in the first quarter of 2026. Interestingly, due to the current strength in oil prices, the analysts foresee Viper shifting its capital return strategy towards variable dividends rather than relying solely on buybacks.
Mariani ranks #23 among over 12,200 analysts on TipRanks, achieving a success rate of 72% with an average return of 35.4%.
Kinetik Holdings
Lastly, we look at Kinetik Holdings, a midstream operator in the Delaware Basin. The company announced it will provide a quarterly dividend of 81 cents per share starting May 1st, resulting in an annual yield of 6.74% based on its projected $3.24 per share dividend.
Ahead of its first-quarter earnings release on May 6, RBC Capital analyst Elvira Scott maintained her buy rating on Kinetik and slightly raised her stock price target to $50, reflecting anticipated product price increases.
Scott expects production declines due to low Waha prices to continue impacting Kinetik’s performance until pipeline capacity expansions occur later in 2026. However, she believes that higher commodity prices and favorable marketing conditions may offset this headwind.
Scott adjusted her forecasts based on insights from recent earnings calls and RBC’s updated commodity pricing sheets. She now anticipates Kinetik will achieve an adjusted EBITDA of $236 million for Q1 2026, with projections for Q1 2027 expecting around $1.014 billion and $1.194 billion, revised upward from prior estimates.
Overall, Scott remains optimistic about Kinetik, citing its focus on the Permian Basin, high-quality assets, and pipeline connectivity as key factors. She believes Kinetik offers an attractive and potentially growing dividend as leverage improves.
Scott ranks #162 out of over 12,200 analysts on TipRanks, with a 70% success rate on her evaluations and an average return of 16%.
