Investors continue to grapple with stock market volatility due to tensions in the Middle East. Those looking for a stable stream of passive income amid ongoing uncertainty can add stocks of some well-established dividend-paying companies to their portfolios.
In this regard, insights from top Wall Street analysts can help investors pick attractive dividend stocks, as the ratings of these experts are backed by in-depth analysis of a company’s financials and growth prospects.
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.
ConocoPhillips
This week’s first dividend-paying stock is oil and gas exploration and production company ConocoPhillips (COP). The energy company is scheduled to announce its first-quarter results on Thursday. COP paid a dividend of 84 cents per share for Q1 2026 and offers a dividend yield of 2.64%.
In a preview note on Q1 earnings, Jefferies analyst Lloyd Byrne reiterated a buy rating on ConocoPhillips stock and raised his price target to $160 from $129. He expects the company to beat first-quarter expectations on higher oil volumes.
Furthermore, the 5-star analyst highlighted that his Q1 2026 earnings per share estimate of $1.89 is higher than the Street’s consensus of $1.70 (which he expects to be revised to $1.80). Byrne noted that while higher realized pricing is the biggest driver of sequential improvement in Q1 2026, one headwind that could persist through the year is natural gas realization in the Lower 48, with about a 6-cent discount compared with standard prices.
Byrne believes that COP is well-positioned to benefit from volatility triggered by the U.S.-Iran conflict, given that about 57% (the highest in his coverage) of the company’s production is exposed to crude and TTF (Title Transfer Facility index is the primary benchmark for wholesale natural gas prices in Europe).
“Using ~$90 Brent and $16 TTF in ’26 we find COP has a compelling FCF [free cash flow] uplift compared to ’25,” said Byrne. Notably, the analyst expects ConocoPhillips to make $8.5 billion worth of repurchases while adding $3 billion to the balance sheet at $90 Brent in 2026. He emphasized that the estimated $8 billion in incremental free cash flow is the highest among peers.
Byrne ranks No. 225 among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 61% of the time, delivering an average return of 20.9%. See ConocoPhillips Stock Buybacks on TipRanks.
Viper Energy
Viper Energy (VNOM) is a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy (FANG) and owns and acquires mineral and royalty interests, primarily in the Permian Basin. In February 2026, the company announced a 15% increase to its annual base dividend to $1.52 per share. Considering the base and variable dividends declared over the past year, VNOM offers a dividend yield of 4.6%.
In an earnings preview report, Roth Capital analyst Leo Mariani reaffirmed a buy rating on Viper Energy stock and raised his price target by 4% to $50 to reflect higher cash flows resulting from increased commodity prices. His bullish stance is backed by VNOM’s “highest organic growth rate vs. peers, a solid and growing dividend, strong free cash flow even at lower oil prices, and a multi-year line of sight on its operations not had by its peers.”
The 5-star analyst expects Viper to deliver strong first-quarter results, with oil production expected to surpass consensus by 0.8% and come in near the high end of the company’s 62,500 to 64,500 Bopd (barrels of oil per day) guidance. Mariani also expects the company’s total production in Q1 2026 to exceed the Street’s consensus estimate by 0.4%.
Additionally, Mariani anticipates that Viper’s first-quarter results will reflect solid oil price realizations. However, he expects weaker prices for gas and NGL (natural gas liquids), given that Diamondback Energy has already reported lower pricing. Nevertheless, he expects Viper to continue to fare better than Diamondback on gas and NGL.
Regarding shareholder returns, Mariani estimates cash distributions of 60 cents per share in Q1 2026 and stock buybacks of $90 million. Interestingly, the analyst expects Viper’s capital return plan to rely a bit less on share buybacks this year and variable dividends to gain priority, given the strength in oil prices.
Mariani ranks No. 23 among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 72% of the time, delivering an average return of 35.4%. See Viper Energy Ownership Structure on TipRanks.
Kinetik Holdings
Finally, let’s look at Kinetik Holdings (KNTK), a midstream operator in the Delaware Basin. The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of 81 cents per share, payable on May 1. Based on an annualized dividend of $3.24 per share, Kinetik offers a dividend yield of 6.74%.
Ahead of first-quarter results on May 6, RBC Capital analyst Elvira Scotto reiterated a buy rating on Kinetik stock and slightly raised the price target to $50 from $49 to reflect higher commodity price expectations.
The 5-star analyst expects lower volumes due to weak Waha prices to continue weighing on Kinetik’s performance until incremental pipeline capacity becomes available in the second half of 2026. Nevertheless, Scotto expects this headwind to be offset by higher commodity prices and marketing gains from pricing spreads.
Meanwhile, Scotto raised her estimates based on insights from her quarterly catch-up call and RBC’s new commodity price deck. The analyst now expects Kinetik to deliver adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of $236 million, $1.014 billion, and $1.194 billion in Q1 2026, 2026, and 2027, respectively, up from the previous forecast of $234 million, $1.011 billion, and $1.184 billion.
Overall, Scotto remains bullish on Kinetik, given its Permian Basin focus, high-quality assets, and pipeline connectivity. The analyst believes that “KNTK pays an attractive dividend that could grow over time as leverage and coverage improves.”
Scotto ranks No. 162 among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. Her ratings have been successful 70% of the time, delivering an average return of 16%. See Kinetik Holdings Options Activity on TipRanks.
This post was originally published on CNBC Markets
