Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts Give Their Take On 3 Defensive Stocks With Over 4% 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.

Altria Group, Inc. MO

Dividend Yield: 7.14%
B of A Securities analyst Lisa Lewandowski upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy and raised the price target from $55 to $65 on Dec. 6, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 65%.
Barclays analyst Gaurav Jain maintained an Underweight rating and increased the price target from $45 to $46 on Nov. 6, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 64%.
Recent News: On Jan. 30, the company posted upbeat quarterly sales.
Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest MO news.

Target Corporation TGT

Dividend Yield: 4.73%
Truist Securities analyst Scot Ciccarelli maintained a Hold rating and cut the price target from $124 to $82 on April 8, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 71%.
Evercore ISI Group analyst Greg Melich maintained an In-Line rating and cut the price target from $130 to $120 on April 1, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 79%.
Recent News: On March 12, the company's board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.12 per common share.
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The Kraft Heinz Company KHC

Dividend Yield: 5.37%
Morgan Stanley analyst Megan Alexander initiated coverage on the stock with an Underweight rating and a price target of $29 on March 24, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 64%.
JP Morgan analyst Ken Goldman maintained a Neutral rating and cut the price target from $32 to $31 on Feb. 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 78%.
Recent News: Kraft Heinz will release its first quarter financial results on Tuesday, April 29.
Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest KHC news