Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts Give Their Take 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 Analyst Stock Ratings page. Traders can sort through Benzinga's extensive database of analyst ratings, including by analyst accuracy.

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

B&G Foods, Inc. BGS

Dividend Yield: 11.38%
Piper Sandler analyst Michael Lavery maintained a Neutral rating and slashed the price target from $8 to $7 on Feb. 26, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 66%.
Barclays analyst Brandt Montour maintained an Equal-Weight rating and cut the price target from $8 to $7 on Nov. 7, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 69%.
Recent News: On Feb. 25, B&G Foods posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings.
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Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. WBA

Dividend Yield: 9.35%
Truist Securities analyst David Macdonald maintained a Hold rating and decreased the price target from $13 to $12 on Jan. 31, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 66%.
B of A Securities analyst Allen Lutz maintained an Underperform rating and raised the price target from $7.5 to $8.5 on Jan. 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 71%.
Recent News: Sycamore Partners is planning a buyout of Walgreens.
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Altria Group, Inc. MO

Dividend Yield: 7.31%
B of A Securities analyst Lisa Lewandowskiupgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy and increased the price target from $55 to $65 on Dec. 6, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 63%.
Barclays analyst Gaurav Jain maintained an Underweight rating and raised the price target from $45 to $46 on Nov. 6, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 65%.
Recent News: On Jan. 30, the company posted upbeat quarterly sales.
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