Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts' Views On 3 Defensive Stocks Delivering High-Dividend Yields

During times of turbulence and uncertainty in the markets, many investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. These are often companies that have high free cash flows and reward shareholders with a high dividend payout.

Benzinga readers can review the latest analyst takes on their favorite stocks by visiting our Analyst Stock Ratings page. Traders can sort through Benzinga's extensive database of analyst ratings, including by analyst accuracy. Here's a look at the most recent high-yield dividend stock ratings from the most accurate Wall Street analysts, according to Benzinga's Analyst Stock Ratings.

Below are the ratings of the most accurate analysts for three high-yielding stocks in the consumer staples sector.

Altria Group, Inc. MO

• Dividend Yield: 9.78%
• Morgan Stanley analyst Pamela Kaufman reiterated an Equal-Weight rating with a price target of $45 on July 18, 2023. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 65%.
• Stifel analyst Matthew Smith reinstated a Buy rating with a target of $52 on April 14, 2023. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 61%.
• Recent News: Altria Group reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results and issued FY24 adjusted EPS guidance.

Philip Morris International Inc. PM

• Dividend Yield: 5.84%
• Stifel analyst Matthew Smith reiterated a Buy rating with a price target of $114 on Oct. 2, 2023. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 61%.
• Morgan Stanley analyst Pamela Kaufman maintained an Overweight rating and cut the price target from $118 to $113 on Oct. 2, 2023. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 65%.
• Recent News: Philip Morris International company reported worse-than-expected fourth-quarter adjusted EPS results and issued FY24 guidance.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation KMB

• Dividend Yield: 4.06%
• JP Morgan analyst Andrea Teixeira maintained an Underweight rating and raised the price target from $119 to $125 on Jan. 18, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 62%.
• B of A Securities analyst Anna Lizzul downgraded the stock from Neutral to Underperform and cut the price target from $135 to $115 on Dec. 15, 2023. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 74%.
• Recent News: Kimberly-Clark reported worse-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results.

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